Tony Becca - FROM THE BOUNDARYCRICKET'S SUPER Cup competition is under way. Cricket fans, the Jamaica Cricket Association and sponsor Supreme Ventures should be pleased with the action so far. In fact, they should be very pleased.
In a bid to improve the standard of play and realising that reward sweetens labour, the JCA went looking for a sponsor with the kind of money to do what it wanted to do.
It found one in Supreme Ventures, which came up with $45m over three years and together they produced a set of incentives that offered clubs and parishes $200,000 each, $25,000 for each match won, $10,000 for first innings lead in a drawn encounter and a whopping $500,000 for the winners of the cup.
That, however, was not all. From the best sponsorship in the history of local cricket, there was also something for the players, $20,000 for a double century, $20,000 for 10 wickets in a match, $10,000 for a century and $10,000 for each five-wicket haul.
SUBSTANTIAL REWARDS
The reasoning behind such substantial rewards was that they would encourage the teams to prepare players properly and when players perform they would attract spectators to the game and so far, so good.
Although the fans have not yet responded, the clubs and parishes, at least some of them, have certainly done so and so too the players.
After two rounds, the performances have been so good that already there have been six team totals of over 300, seven individual centuries, seven five-wicket hauls and even though there is nothing for fielding - not even one cent, some wonderful fielding and certainly in one match, a few really brilliant catches.
The totals over 300 include two by Manchester in their first outing in the big league, 331 for seven declared against Kensington and 306 for five against Kingston CC and a massive 386 for five declared in one day by St. Catherine CC against the Jamaica Defence Force.
IMPRESSIVE 202 NOT OUT
The centuries include a swashbuckling 132 by Carlton Baugh Jnr for Melbourne against St. Elizabeth and an impressive 202 not out by St. Catherine's Tamar Lambert who, stroked 18 fours and hit four sixes while facing 256 JDF deliveries.
In the five-wicket hauls, fast bowler Jermaine Lawson's name appears twice - once with five for 23 for St. Catherine against Westmoreland and once with five for 95 against JDF - even though Warren Medwynter smashed four sixes and four fours while slamming 40 runs in two overs from the fast bowler.
Based on reports, there have also been good some fielding and catching in the 10 matches to date and there were definitely one good catch and one brilliant one at Melbourne Oval on Sunday.
With Melbourne chasing Kensington's 324 and going well, opening batsman Yanick Elliott drove through the covers and must have been a disappointed man when, to the amazement of the fans, Roland Henry at deep extra-cover dashed to his right, turned as the ball past him, dived for it, and came up with a magnificent catch.
OUTSTANDING CATCH
Just before the umpires called play, Llewelyn Meggs went back to a short delivery, smashed the ball into the covers, Wavell Hinds dived to his left at short extra-cover and although it was not as brilliant as Henry's, came up with another outstanding catch.
The Super Cup has a long way to go before the winners lift the cup but so far, so good. The clubs, parishes and players have certainly responded to the effort of the JCA and to the generosity of Supreme Ventures.
