Red Stripe lauds Walsh

Red Stripe president John Irving (left) presenting a crystal bowl to Courtney Walsh yesterday. - Contributed

JAMAICA and West Indies bowling great Courtney Walsh was the toast of cricketers, officials and sponsors Red Stripe during the official breakfast launch of the 2001 Red Stripe Bowl regional limited-overs cricket tournament at Red Stripe yesterday morning.

Walsh, the world record holder for the most wickets in Test cricket and with a total of 519, the only man to take 500 or more wickets, was presented with a beautiful crystal bowl by John Irving, president of Red Stripe.

"For your commitment to West Indies cricket, your perseverance and extraordinary accomplishments over the years, we salute you as one of the Caribbean's most prized sportsmen," said MC Debbie Tyson before the presentation to the bowler with the most wickets in the four-year history of the Red Stripe Bowl.

Engraved on the crystal bowl are five toasts - one to happiness, one love, one to health, one to prosperity and one to peace.

A special presentation was also made to the Leeward Islands X1 for their tenacity over the years. As the Leeward Islands, the team contested the final in all four years of the Bowl.

All matches in Zone A of the tournament will be played in Jamaica starting today, and all four teams - Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, the Leeward Islands X1 and Northern Windward Islands - were present at the traditional launch and entertained by the Hummingbird Steel Band, the Caribbean Flavour dancers, and Ity and Fancy Cat.

The teams were welcomed by Noel daCosta - Director, External Affairs at Red Stripe while Jackie Hendriks - president of the Jamaica CRicket Board of Control, and Gregory Shillingford - chief executive officer of the West Indies Cricket Board, thanked Red Stripe for their continued sponsorship and wished the players the best of luck during the tournament.

-Tony Becca

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