THE 2020 season of the Jamaica Cricket Association’s (JCA) 24 clubs, parish associations and affiliates are ready to contest the 2020 season of the Senior Cup, which bowls off on Saturday and pulls up stumps on April 19.

Representatives of the participating teams attended a meeting at Sabina Park where they were issued playing kits for the competition. Cricket Operations Manager O’Neil Cruickshank noted that the JCA was able to save significantly on previous years’ spend on uniforms, courtesy of the sponsorship from Pakistan-based sports apparel provider Stonehill.

“Stonehill is a great partner as we seek to develop our cricket programmes. They subsidised the cost of the kits for the senior level competitions, national teams, as well as equipment such as bats and pads. The JCA is better able to support the development programmes of our parish associations who are tasked with scouting and honing talent identified from primary- and secondary-level tournaments,” said Cruickshank.

JCA CEO Courtney Francis also spoke to the JCA benefiting from other sponsorships. “Our business development team and marketing committees have been putting in the work to secure sponsorships and partnerships to help us stand on firmer footing. The Senior Cup, for the first time in years, will get financial support along with our women’s programmes. The official announcement will come in another week or so when the ink is on the dotted line, but we are confident.”

Meanwhile last season’s newcomer, The Mico University College are ready to be more competitive. In 2019 the JCA’s Board of Directors provisionally approved the institution’s request to participate pending their ability to meet particular minimum standards regarding venue preparation. Those hurdles have been cleared and the institution is ready to strengthen its fight.

Francis said: “We are always enthused when teams, whether traditional or new, improve themselves and provide better-quality competition. Seeing Mico develop the way they did over the course of the year gives credence to our strategic approach to supporting participation in the national cricket landscape.”

He added: “The Mico University has undertaken some noteworthy activities. They’ve developed a structured cricket programme at the university, they offer full scholarships to both male and female cricketers, and now provide opportunities for youth to develop a career in the sport as well as post-retirement options.”