JCA-Kingston Wharves U-15s bowls off

The Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) launched the 30th staging of the Kingston Wharves (KW) Under-15 Cricket Championships at Sabina Park yesterday. The programme, which started in 1989, has produced hundreds of local cricketers who have represented Jamaica and the Windies with distinction: Christopher Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Chadwick Walton, and others.

The 40-over competition, which bowled off yesterday, lasts for five weeks and ends on August 29. It features just under 400 of the country's best national Under-15 players from 20 of the JCA's clubs and parish associations being divided into four zones, each containing five teams.

A round-robin format will determine which two teams (winner and runner-up) from each zone progress to the knockout phase, which commences with quarter-finals. The competitions will be played at a wide variety of venues

across the island.

Kingston Wharves CEO Grantley Stephenson said: "This continued partnership is a signal of our commitment to the tournament over the years and our firm belief in its main objectives of unearthing and honing cricket talent from an early age while exposing the young players to competition and instilling discipline and other important lessons.

"KW also continues to be driven by our conviction that the storied and glorious history of West Indies cricket must be passed on to successive generations of cricketers."

JCA president Wilford 'Billy' Heaven added: "Cricket is more than a sport; it is a tool for social change and a multibillion-dollar global business. Everything must be done to protect its legacy and ensure its longevity; Kingston Wharves is doing just that here in Jamaica."

In addition to its J$6-million sponsorship of the competition, Kingston Wharves will provide book vouchers for all players in the finals.