OUR lived experience has taught us all that “There’s many a slip twixt the cup and the lip.”

Nonetheless, it seems we are well on target for proper lighting and a modern electronic scoreboard at our historic headquarters of cricket, Sabina Park, ahead of next month’s arrival in Jamaica of Australia’s cricketers for a Test match and Twenty20 (T20) games against hosts West Indies.

The lights, paid for by Jamaican taxpayers to the tune of $75 million, will allow the games to be played at nights.

The pink ball Test scheduled for July 12-16 will be particularly significant since it will be the first such to be played at Sabina.

The electronic scoreboard, a gift from India, replaces one set up for the 2007 Cricket World Cup — which stopped working several years ago.

The Jamaican Government should not be surprised if there is annoyance on the part of many local cricket watchers. That’s because this upgrade at Sabina Park would have been part of preparations for last year’s T20 World Cup had our leaders not chosen to decline hosting rights.

Readers should recall that the reason given by Government at the time was that the $450-million costing to upgrade the stadium was considered too high.

At a purely commercial level, Jamaica, by declining World Cup hosting rights, missed the opportunity — grabbed by regional partners — to show off its famed tourism product to a rapidly growing, cricket-watching, global television audience.

That said, we believe the Jamaica Cricket Association deserves applause for choosing to test its new lights with two limited overs’ white-ball games next week involving the best Under-19 players from the rural and urban areas.

As we understand it, the games will honour Mr John Pottinger, legendary principal of St Elizabeth Technical High School from half a century ago. Mr Pottinger was a true friend of cricket who laid the ground work for his school’s dominance in the sport.

Also being honoured is former chief executive officer of the GraceKennedy Group Mr Don Wehby. Chief architect of the Wehby Report which seeks to transform and modernise the administration of cricket in the Caribbean, Mr Wehby, perhaps more than any other, ensured there was continuing support for Jamaican schoolboy cricket even in the leanest of times.

And, as the JCA looks ahead to a brighter future for Sabina Park, including refurbishing of the run-down physical plant, it is full time for a dusting-off of old plans for a museum at what is among the globe’s most storied cricket venues.

From Mr George Headley to Mr Christopher Gayle, Sabina has been home to Jamaicans listed among the very best cricketers anywhere.

It was the venue for the so-called timeless Test between West Indies and England in April 1930, determined as a draw on the ninth day. It was notable for a triple century from the Englishman Mr Andy Sandham and a double hundred from the then 20-year-old Mr Headley.

Sabina was also the venue for the great Barbadian, Sir Garfield Sobers, then 21 years old, to set a then world Test-match batting record of 365 not out in early 1958.

It defies belief that in 2025 the authorities still have not found the will to establish and suitably equip a museum at Sabina Park which would cater for locals and visitors.

In our view, it amounts to dereliction of duty.