Tony Becca
THE JAMAICA Cricket Association's Super Cup competition is under way after a late start due to Cricket World Cup and so far there have been some interesting results and individual performances.
After two rounds of action, the Jamaica Defence Force and Westmoreland lead the standings with seven points each - six for a victory and one for trailing on first innings in a drawn match. They are followed by Melbourne and Kingston CC on six points each after two first innings leads and by Manchester, St. Elizabeth and defending champions St. Catherine CC who are all on four points.
With Melbourne blazing their way to 456 for seven declared against Trelawny, with Marlon Samuels of Melbourne stroking a polished 205 versus Trelawny, with Jermaine Lawson and Andre Russell of St. Catherine CC picking up figures of five for 14 and five for 28 against Lucas, respectively, and with Kemar Richards of Kingston CC pocketing five for 51 against St. Elizabeth in the first round, the season, it would appear, got off not only to a promising start but also to a fine and lively one.
And looking back at the second round during which Melbourne knocked up 440 against JDF with Carlton Baugh stroking 118 and his number nine teammate Sheldon Smith, the St. George's past student of some eight years now, blasting 10 sixes and five fours while smashing 101 off 72 deliveries, a round during which Jason Dawes of Westmoreland preened himself with figures of six wickets for six runs off 7.4 overs against Trelawny and Donovan Sinclair stroked 101 for Manchester against Lucas, there was hardly any difference between round one and round two.
Disappointing, disturbing
Melbourne's Carlton Baugh Jr. stroked 118 against JDF. - file
Apart from the fact that Trelawny had to play their home match against Melbourne at Melbourne Oval despite being the home parish of the new multi-purpose stadium which was built for cricket just a few months ago, there were, however, some disappointing and disturbing and performances. Especially so by the batsmen, many of whom just do not seem to belong in the premier competition in the land. In the first round, Kensington, the once mighty Kensington, the home of Lawrence Rowe, were routed for 100 by JDF, and Lucas, the once mighty Lucas, the home of the legendary George Headley, were routed for 102 - and that despite Christopher Gayle's contribution of 56.
In the second round, St. Catherine, the defending champions, were dismissed for 147 by St. Elizabeth. Trelawny, home of the new stadium, were routed for 68 and for 100 by Westmoreland, and when rain stopped play in their match against Manchester, Lucas, without Gayle, were reeling at 78 for seven.
This weekend, leaders JDF and Westmoreland clash at Camp, second-place Melbourne and Kingston CC meet at Sabina Park and some exciting cricket should be in store for the fans.
Off the field, there has been one disappointing development - one in which the JCA has ruled that all the clubs should use the same quality ball. One in which the JCA has, in its opinion, supplied the clubs with balls of the same quality and one in which the balls cost the clubs more than normal.
The clubs, a number of them, are complaining, and they are complaining that the balls were supplied by sponsors, that because of that they should be given to the clubs free of cost and also that apart from being sold to the clubs at a higher price, they are inferior.
According to the complaints, the balls get soft too early, they do not last as long as those they purchased and used up to last season, and they are too expensive.
Not so, however, claims JCA first Vice-President Paul Campbell.
Part of a sponsorship
According to Campbell, sports goods manufacturer, IHSAN of India, provides clothing for all the clubs and national teams in Jamaica as part of a sponsorship. Part of the deal is that the JCA buys some cricket gear from IHSAN, in its effort to get all the clubs playing with the same ball and to lower the cost of the balls to the clubs, the JCA bought the balls from IHSAN, and while they may be inferior, while they may in fact cost a bit more, the JCA, according to Campbell, is working on the problem, or rather on the problems.
The problems, says Campbell, are that the balls were ready for shipment so late that they had to be air-freighted and the JCA had to pay the extra cost and that they came so late that the JCA did not have enough time to test them for quality.
According to Campbell, the JCA is only a part of the game. It is working in the interest of the clubs and the game, and the issue of the price and the quality of the balls will soon be settled.
That is good to hear, for while there is no question that cricket, competitive cricket, needs a standard ball, the JCA, in introducing it, cannot afford to short-change the clubs.
If the JCA decides to provide these balls, it should ensure that the quality is not worse than it was before. As the representative of the clubs it should not make a profit off the clubs who are all suffering and, if that is not the intention of the JCA, the clubs should give it the benefit of the doubt and wait and see before, as some have threatened, taking action.
