By Tony Becca, Senior Sport Editor
Walsh and Santokie
THE INAUGURAL Jamaica Double Wicket Championship gets under way at Kaiser Sports Club in Discovery Bay this afternoon at 1:00 with 16 teams, including one from England's Surrey County Cricket Club and four from around the region, hunting the Laurie Williams Memorial Trophy and the $100,000 first prize.
Organised by the Jamaica Cricket Association, the three-day contest brings together teams of two players each, and with a couple of past masters of the West Indies, some of the islands' most promising youngsters and some of the region's most exciting batsmen, it promises to be an exciting affair.
The Windies past masters are Courtney Walsh - the world record holder for the most wickets in Test cricket, and Jeffrey Dujon - one of the finest strokeplayers to come out of Jamaica; the youngsters include batsmen Devon Smith of Grenada, Donovan Pagon, Tamar Lambert, Brenton Parchment and Danza Hyatt of Jamaica, and allrounders David Bernard Jnr, Krishmar Santokie and Xavier Marshall of Jamaica; and among the exciting, hard-hitting batsmen Carlisle Best, Philo Wallace and Floyd Reifer of Barbados, Wilden Cornwall of Antigua and Howard Harris of St. Ann and Jamaica.
Also in action will be the likes of fast bowler Franklyn Rose of Jamaica, legspinner Rawle Lewis of Grenada, batsman Sylvester Joseph of Antigua, batsman Alvin Greenidge of Barbados and James Benning and Johnathon Batty of Surrey.
In the format of the contest which will also see $10,000 going to the batsman who scores the most runs, $5,000 to the batsman who hits the most sixes, and $5,000 to the best fielder, the teams will be divided into four groups of four teams each with the teams in each group playing each other, the four winners moving into the semi-finals, and the two winners contesting the final.
Each team will be limited to four overs in the preliminary round, for six overs in the semi-finals and the final, and if one batsman is dismissed, the other will bat until he is also out or the overs are completed.
The groups: Group One - Jamaica Black, Jamaica Youth, Middlesex champions St. Catherine Parish, West Indies Masters.
Group Two - Barbaados, Jamaica Green, University of the West Indies, Cornwall champions Westmoreland.
Group Three - Grenada, Jamaica Hotel Select, Jamaica Gold, all-island limited-over champions St. Catherine CC.
Group Four - Antigua, Jamaica Masters, national champions Jamaica Defence Force, Surrey County Cricket Club.
The Players: Antigua - Sylvester Joseph and Wilden Cornwall; Barbados - Philo Wallace and Floyd Reifer; Grenada - Rawle Lewis and Devon Smith; Jamaica Hotel Select - Howard Harris and Richard Hoilette.
Jamaica Black - Brian Murphy and Mario Ventura; Jamaica Green - Franklyn Rose and Donovan Pagon; Jamaica Gold - Brenton Parchment and David Bernard Jnr.; Jamaica Masters - Courtney Walsh and Jeffrey Dujon.
Jamaica Youth - Krishmar Santokie and Xavier Marshall; JDF - Wayne Cuff and Warren Medwynter; St. Catherine Parish - Lloyd Ramsay and David Harrison; St. Catherine CC - Tamar Lambert and Danza Hyatt; UWI - Maurice Clarke and Llewelyn Meggs; Westmoreland - Cleveland Davidson and Myron Wilson; West Indies Masters - Carlisle Best and Alvin Greenidge; Surrey CC - James Benning and Johnathon Batty.
Today's schedule: 1.30 - Jamaica Black versus Jamaica Youth; 1.40 - Jamaica Green versus UWI; 2.20 - Jamaica Hotel Select versus Jamaica Gold; 3.00 - JDF versus Surrey CC; 3.40 - UWI versus Westmoreland; 4.20 - Jamaica Hotel Select versus St. Catherine CC; 5.40 - JDF versus Jamaica Masters.
