Aspiring young cricketers, as well as the rising stars in the parish of St Mary, are now able to have additional technical and mental training following the relaunch of the St Mary Youth Cricket Academy recently.

Speaking at the launch ceremony at Boscobel Oval, Ian Spencer, the president of the St Mary Cricket Association, noted that the academy had been launched in 2019 but because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the training programme had to be put on hold.

“We promised when our administration took office that youth cricket was high on our agenda with the youth academy being top priority… today we are proud of this achievement as early technical guidance and coaching had been severely lacking over the years, preventing a number of promising cricketers from developing into outstanding players,” Spencer said.

Spencer outlined that the academy was currently catering to the top Under-13, Under-15, Under-17 players in the parish. But following the completion of the first phase during the summer, it would then be made available to various primary and high schools in the parish.

The academy aims to hone the skills of players and rekindle the enthusiasm for young people in the parish towards the sport of cricket. This, Spencer noted, is not just a summer camp, but a full-fledged cricket academy, which will be significantly expanded over time as training facilities are upgraded.

The St Mary Cricket Association president also thanked a number of individuals and companies who have been making a significant contribution to the growth of the sport in the parish. He named the Sports Development Foundation, Sandals Resorts International, Costly Construction, Parkway Pharmacy, Braham Service Stations, Total Tools and Members of Parliaments Robert Montague and Morais Guy,.

“There is a still a lot more to be done and we are calling on companies and small businesses in St Mary to come on board and assist with sponsorship of our players,” Spencer said.

“The St Mary senior team won the 2019 Jamaica Cricket Association all island limited-overs competition and recently reached the finals of the 2022 edition. We also reached the semi-finals of JCA T20 Bashment and our Under-15 team, which reached the final of the Kingston Wharves competition, is set to be in action in a few weeks.

Two St Mary players Marlon Williams and Trevaun Williams are currently with the Jamaican team at the regional Rising Stars Under-17 tournament in Trinidad.

In outlining the programme, St Mary parish Coach Jefferton Meeks said cultivating proper batting, bowling and fielding techniques, as well as mental preparation would be the main focus at this time.

“We are very happy that the academy has now restarted and look forward to it growing from strength to strength,” he said.

The academy is under the guidance of first vice-president and cricket operations chief, Junior Mattison; and youth coordinators Wain Lynch and Paul Williams.