By Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport EditorAMING GIANTS Supreme Ventures Limited played a super shot for local cricket by smashing a whopping sponsorship deal worth $45 million yesterday.
All that money has been allocated for the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) All-island Super League, which will now be called the Supreme Ventures Super Cup.
It is scheduled to bowl off on Saturday, April 17 with five matches - Kingston vs Jamaica Defence Force at Sabina and St. Catherine C.C. vs Westmoreland at Chedwin Park, Lucas vs Boys' Town at Lucas, St. Elizabeth vs Melbourne at Alpart, and Kensington vs Manchester at Kensington.
The final is set for the second weekend in July.
Brian George, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Supreme Ventures, told the media at yesterday's launch their contribution was intended to stem the flow of top talent to leagues outside Jamaica.
FUNDS
The funds are to serve for three years, $15 million for each one.
It is by far the biggest sponsorship for a local cricket competition and inherently, it has brought along some unprecedented cash incentives.
"We've never had this sort of assistance from our sponsors before and it augurs well for the competition," said the JCA's CEO, Brian Breese.
Prime among them are the $500,000 award that accompanies the championship trophy for the winner of the tournament, and a $250,000 bounty for the runners-up. Last year's champions earned $100,000 for their efforts.
Before a ball is bowled, each team will get a Mobilisation Fund of $200,000.
Breese said the board will monitor the use of such funds as "... we feel that a portion of that money should go to the development of the club or parishes".
INVENTIVES
Other major team incentives include a $375,000 deal for the top four finishers in the preliminary stage, which will be contested on a round-robin basis. The overall leader will pocket $15,000, second place $10,000, third $75,000 and fourth $50,000. All four shall play a knockout semi-final with first going up against fourth and second versus third, with the victors advancing to the championship game.
Other team awards include $25,000 for an outright win and $10,000 for gaining first innings points. Outstanding individuals can cash in big time also.
There is a $50,000 incentive for the Most Valuable Player for the season and $20,000 for any batsman or bowler who scores a double century or claims a 10-wicket haul.
Half that amount is set aside for each ton scored or a five-wicket haul.
The financial backing from Supreme Ventures will also rid clubs of match overheads such as umpire's fees and travelling expenses.
"That is a tremendous boost for the clubs," Breese said. "The fact that the clubs won't have to look at where to get money from to pay them."
Providing tops for players is something the teams won't have to worry about either as the sponsor has provided three shirts per player.
For every round, there will be a Game of the Week which will be televised live on local sports channel Sportsmax.
That game will give spectators an opportunity to cash in on the action as well by participating in two promotions to be run by the sponsor.
They are the Guess the Lunchtime Score and Supreme Ventures Spin and Bowl competition and both will be contested by three randomly chosen patrons. With regards to the former, the sponsors' representative will take cellphone numbers from patrons and call three an hour before lunch for a prediction of the score at the upcoming interval. Whoever hits the mark or falls closest to it will win a gift package.
OTHER PRIZES
In terms of the latter, the person who turns from a short run-up and hits the stump(s) first will win $5,000. Suzette Smellie-Tomlinson, business development manager at Supreme Ventures, explained that "if more than one person succeeds at the same turn, then there will be a bowl off to decide the winner".
The respective champs will have a grand bowl-off at the final, where the winner will pocket $50,000.
