Jamaica Welfare, established in 1937, 25 years before Jamaica’s Independence from colonial power Britain, became the Social Development Commission (SDC) in 1965, retaining its core responsibilities for community mobilisation and development.

This newspaper has long felt that using community organisation and mobilisation as basic tools, a properly funded and empowered SDC should be playing a far more central role in uplifting values and attitudes.

Such community-based programmes, we have consistently argued, can help to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour.

Even with resource constraints, we believe the SDC has shown glimpses of what’s possible by organising Jamaica’s most successful domestic cricket competition, the community–based SDC T20, every year, since the very first one in 2006.

There is universal agreement that organised sport nurtures positive behaviour for all ages, more especially the young.

In an environment in which cricket organised by the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) routinely attracts no more than a handful of spectators, nearly 6,000 people are said to have crammed into Chedwin Park in St Catherine to watch the SDC T20 final in August.

That’s not new. We have consistently heard of, and seen, high levels of spectator support for SDC cricket down the years.

Also, the SDC has impressed with its ability to attract business partnerships for its cricket programme through sponsorship, which obviously comes with the popularity of its product.

As it has turned out, JCA President Dr Donovan Bennett, who watched last month’s final, was reportedly so enthused by the high level of organisation, standard of play, and fan interest that he wants a full partnership with SDC in T20 cricket.

We hear that Dr Bennett envisions a merger between the JCA and SDC T20 competitions.

Said he: “What we will have going forward is that we won’t end up having two T20 competitions in Jamaica. We will probably join together and have one big competition…”

The JCA head said he was in discussions with SDC “…because, clearly, they have something to offer to the development of [cricket]. They know how to promote, for sure, which we [are not as good at]”.

And, according to the SDC’s Mr Terrence Richards, “[T]he pooling of resources ultimately benefits the development of Jamaica’s cricket, and as such we stand ready to have a discussion with JCA to look at the possibilities.”

It sounds good.

However, a cautionary note is in order, for this is not the first time we have heard talk of a possible T20 merger between JCA and SDC.

Dr Bennett’s predecessor, Mr Wilford “Billy” Heaven, who was similarly impressed in 2019, reportedly spoke then of plans to have the SDC cricket tournament become Jamaica’s official domestic T20 competition.

We suspect that the COVID-19 pandemic, which broadsided Jamaica in 2020, may have contributed to Mr Heaven’s ambitions failing to materialise.

However, we are aware that closer collaboration followed, involving the SDC, JCA and the West Indies Players’ Association through coaching.

Based on Dr Bennett’s recent comments we are cautiously optimistic that the next step could be a comprehensive, win-win partnership between the JCA and the SDC for a single top-tier T20 tournament. Jamaica cricket needs it.