JEP League seeks to hone talent with changes

Organisers of the annual Jamaica Energy Partners (JEP) Cricket League in St Catherine are assuring that changes implemented this year will encourage talent development while honing the skills of young players.

President of the St Catherine Cricket Association, Milholland Barker, explains that one of the new mandates will be for juniors on each team to bat in the top five of the order and bowl within the first 15 overs.

"This initiative can only go a long way in keeping cricket going in the parish. We want to thank Jamaica Energy Partners for their long and fruitful partnership and support for cricket in St Catherine.

"Had it not been for the commitment of the JEP, we are sure that reaching this stage would have been challenging," said Barker.

These initiatives, the organisers have promised, should provide fans with a special season. The competition will also revert to the original 40 overs from the Twenty20 (T20) format introduced last year.

The competition was kickstarted recently following the high of their first successful post-pandemic series last year.

JEP, this year, will contribute $1.5 million, the largest ever received, and Director of Corporate Affairs, Shared Values and Marketing, Melissa Newman, reiterated the company's commitment to the sport and its development in St Catherine.

"We are thrilled to be able to sponsor such a magnanimous event. It is an honour to witness the growth of these young men, and we are excited to see the value created amongst the youth and the communities at large," added Newman.

She challenged the young players to use this opportunity to transition from the club level to the national, regional, and international markets, like former league players Andre Russell, Rovman Powell and Nkrumah Bonner.

In the meantime, defending champions Bridgeport is among the 14 teams that will participate in this year's competition and had a 123-run win over Victorian Eagles in the opening encounter.

Bridgeport posted 191 runs and then restricted Victorian to just 68, with Christopher Chang bagging three wickets for 18 runs and Robert Heron, two for 13.

Phoenix Park and Greater Portmore also registered first-round wins and will be in action in round two this Sunday against Paul Mountain and Correctional Services, respectively.

Other games on Sunday are Old Harbour vs Braeton and Slazenger vs Basement in Zone A and Bartley XI vs Packers and Angels vs Victorian Angeles in Zone B.