The OECS Sports Desk and its contribution to cricket development

By: Joseph “Reds” Perreira

When the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Sports Desk entered its second year of operation in 1985 (after a three-month inauguration in 1984), it was learnt from Grenada’s cricket executive Kenny Hobson that there was no secondary school competition taking place, because it was not budgeted for at the time by Grenada’s Ministry of Education. The Cricket Association simply asked players of a certain age to turn up at Queen’s Park for possible selection into the training squad. 

It begged the question whether there was a similar situation in the other member states, and to overcome the cost of the secondary schools programme throughout the grouping, it was a question of whether the Sports Desk could find the sponsorship to make it a reality. 

After finding out that United Insurance, headquartered in Barbados, had an office in each member state except Saint Kitts & Nevis, a meeting was organised with the head of United Insurance in Barbados, Tommy Pearce, who played for the Wanderers Cricket Club in the Barbados Cricket Association, and whose father, TN Pearce, represented Barbados on the West Indies Cricket Board. 

A proposal to United Insurance for the sponsorship of secondary school cricket in the OECS was approved, supporting the concept that the smaller Caribbean nations were important in providing a strong, mature secondary school programme for future talent. 

Each Ministry of Sport was provided XCD10,000 towards the execution of such a programme, with funding provided directly to the ministries through the individual offices of United Insurance in the member states. Each ministry was required to submit a full report on the running of each competition to every United Insurance office, whilst providing the media houses with the details of the fixtures, and to include the name of the sponsor in all press releases. 

Test and other WI Cricket players 

The following information highlights Test players and others who emerged from the sponsorship of United Insurance within the Eastern Caribbean. The overall picture is outlined in Table 1 – WI Players Produced.

Table 1 – WI Players Produced 

Players produced per country 

1. ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA 

International 

1. Dave Joseph – Tests
2. Gavin Tonge – ODI + Test
3. Austin Richards – ODI
4. Kerry Jeremy – ODI
5. Sylvester Joseph – ODI + Test
6. Hamish Anthony – ODI
7. Ridley Jacobs – ODI + Test
8. Anthony Martin – ODI + T20i
9. Devon Thomas – All Formats/Test
10. Adam Sanford (First Class)

Leeward Islands First Class 

1. Wilden Cornwall
2. Anthony Lake
3. Carl Simon
4. Curtis Roberts
5. Hayden Walsh Snr
6. Ricky Christopher
7. Vaughn Walsh
8. Goldwyn Prince
9. Amwaa Prince
10. Juari Edwards
11. Gavin Williams
12. Mali Richards
13. Larry Joseph
14. Whitmore Quinn
15. Jenson Joseph
16. Ian Tittle
17. McChesney Simon
18. DaneWeston
19. Earl Waldron
20. Anthony Merrick
21. DOMINICA 

Test Players: 

1. Shane Shillingford (3) 
2. Kevin Hodge 
3. Alick Athanaze 

Windwards First Class: 

1. Tyrone Theophile 

2. Liam Sebastian 
3. Ferniz Thomas 
4. Melvin Matthews 
5. Kevin James 
6. Ezekiel Francis 
7. Gian Benjamin 
8. JeanPaul 
9. Jerlani Robinson 
10. GRENADA 

Test Players: 

1. Junior Murray 
2. Devon Smith 
3. Rawle Lewis 
4. Sherman Lewis 
5. Nelon Pascal (fast bowler) 

ODI: 

1. Andre Fletcher (ODI/T20 71 ) 

Windwards First Class: 

1. Johann Jeremiah
2. Josh Thomas
3. Heron Campbell 
4. Yohan Campbell 
5. Dennis Smith 
6. Ronald Etienne 
7. Kester Sylvester 
8. Preston McSween 
9. Daryl Cyrus 
10. Denroy Charles 
11. Camilus Alexander 
12. Marvin Noel 
13. Aaron St Hilaire 
14. Rudy Paul 
15. Micah Narine 
16. John Olive
17. Lyndon Lawrence 
18. Devon Jones 

WI U 19: 

1. Daniel Smith 
2. Denis Narayan 
3. Shermil Lewis 
4. Emmanuel Stewart 
5. Ryan John 
6. Divonie Joseph 
7. Emmanuel Stewart
8. Ryan John
9. Daren Nedd 

WI A: 

1. Ronald Cato (not a full Test cap) 

U23: 

1. Dennis George 
2. MONTSERRAT 

Test Player: 

1. Lionel Baker 

Leewards and West Indies: 

1. Lionel Baker 
2. SAINT KITTS & NEVIS 

Winning Schools: 

• Basseterre Senior High School
• Basseterre Junior High School

3-year sponsorship of the United Insurance Secondary Schools Cricket Competition: 

• Basseterre Senior School
• Basseterre Junior High School
• Cayon High School
• Sandy Point High School/Charles E Mills Secondary School
• Verchilds High School

Players who participated and went on to represent St. Kitts LI U19 & LI Senior Team: 

1. Junie Mitcham
2. Colin Cannonier
3. Harwood Williams
4. Jason Williams
5. Jason Saddler
6. Colin Saddler
7. Sheldon Jeffers
8. Leroy Bridgewater
9. Sunil Baley
10. SAINT LUCIA 

Test Players: 

1. Daren Sammy (U19 World Cup & Test player) 
2. Johnson Charles (ODI and T20) 
3. Gairy Mathurin (T20 UK) 

Windwards who played for West Indies to date – ODI and T20 (Female): 

1. Zaida James 

2. Qiana Joseph 
3. Nerissa Crafton 

Windwards First Class: 

1. Keddy Lesporis 
2. Dalton Polius (UK Scholarship) 
3. Larry Edward (UK Scholarship) 
4. Audey Alexander 
5. Ackeem Auguste
6. Shadrack Descarte 
7. Tarrique Edwards (U19)
8. Lee Solomon (U19)
9. Garvin Serieux (U16 WI)
10. Dane Edwards (U16 WI)
11. John Eugene (U16 WI)
12. Kimani Melinus (U19 & U16 WI)
13. ST VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES 

Test Players: 

1. Cameron Cuffy 
2. Kenroy Peters 
3. Nixon McClean 
4. Sunil Ambris 
5. Obed McCoy 
6. Deighton Butler 

Windwards First Class: 

1. Miles Bascombe (WI T20) England 
2. Deighton Butler 
3. Kenroy Martin 
4. McNeil Morgan 
5. Bertram Stapleton 
6. Dennis Byron 
7. Uzzah Pope (WI U19) 
8. Gidron Pope (WI U19) 
9. Kesrick Williams (WI T20) 
10. Reynold McClean 
11. Irvin Warrican 
12. Dawnlee Joseph 

Other related cricket activities of the Sports Desk include: 

1. The first-ever cricket commentators workshop in the region, held in Antigua and Barbuda, hosted by Tony Cozier and Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira, and sponsored by UNESCO. In total, five Commentators from each member state participated. 
2. Two wicket-keeping clinics carried out by former WI players, Michael Finley in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Jackie Hendricks in Saint Kitts and Nevis. which produced West Indies keepers Junior Murray and Ridley Jacobs. 
3. Two fast bowling clinics, hosted by Andy Roberts in Antigua and Barbuda, and Colin Croft in Saint Lucia.
4. Sponsorship of secondary school cricket by United/Massy Insurance 
5. Barclays Bank Sponsorship of Windwards First Class Competitions for a period of four years. 

Credits 

The above information was put together with the help of Casper Davis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines/Windwards, Mali Richards, Antigua and Barbuda/Leewards, Lockhart Sebastian (Dominica/Windwards and Combined Islands), Raphael Croney (former employee of United Insurance and the present executive on the Grenada Cricket Board). 

Disclaimer 

The writer apologises for any omissions as they are not deliberate, as the period dealt with did not have the requisite statistics available. Any additions/corrections/observations on the information noted above are welcomed.