(L-R) Chaluk Richards, General Manager of GraceKennedy General Insurance; Kareem Tomlinson, Managing Director of GK Investment; Willford Heaven, President of the Jamaica Cricket Association; Dr. Kishore Shallow, President of Cricket West Indies; Keith Wellington, President of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA); and Radcliffe Daley, President and CEO of First Global Bank at the launch of the ISSA/Grace Shield held at GraceKennedy HQ in Kingston.
GraceKennedy (GK) has announced its renewed sponsorship of the 2024 Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) Grace Shield under-19 cricket competition.
The sponsorship is being undertaken by GK General Insurance (GKGI) and First Global Bank (FGB) and is valued at approximately J$9 million.
GK’s sponsorship of the ISSA Grace Shield began in 2001.
GK Group CEO Don Wehby commented, “Our longstanding support of schoolboy cricket in Jamaica is a part of our long-term commitment to our youth, our schools, sports development and our country.
This competition is the gold standard, and we see it as a great way to give back to our community, help develop future cricket stars and contribute to a sport that impacts so many Jamaicans in a positive way.”
Speaking at the competition’s media launch held at GraceKennedy’s headquarters in Kingston today, President of FGB, Radcliffe Daley explained, “For over a decade, First Global Bank has been a proud supporter of cricket in Jamaica, fostering youth talent and promoting the sport at the grassroots level. Our belief in the significance of the sport is why we've partnered with ISSA, committing to 'go further together' in developing our athletes at every stage of their journey.”
Daley added, “Our commitment extends beyond the field; we invest in programmes that provide educational and life-skill opportunities for young athletes.”
This year’s staging of the ISSA Grace Shield and Headley Cup will run from January 26 to April 30 and will see the participation of 43 schools from across the island, 28 in the Headley Cup and 15 in the Grace Shield.
Action in both competitions gets underway on Tuesday with four matches in the Headley Cup and three in the Grace Shield.
In the Grace Shield, St. Jago will play Ardenne, Jonathan Grant will face Wolmer’s Boys and Bridgeport will face Norman Manley while in the Headley Cup, Ocho Rios will play Ferncourt, Herbert Morrison will play Browns Town, Green Pond will take on York Castle and Cambridge will play Cornwall College,
Chaluk Richards, General Manager, GKGI, commented, “At GK General Insurance, we believe in the transformative power of sports. We are excited to support a competition that not only promotes healthy competition but also brings together schools, communities, and families in a celebration of talent, hard work, and sportsmanship.”
Richards concluded, “We look forward to witnessing the incredible talent that our schools have to offer, the spirited matches, and the camaraderie that this competition will foster.”
'Still England's best bowler' – Australia's Lyon stunned by Anderson retirement
James Anderson retiring from Test cricket shocked Nathan Lyon as the Australian spinner believes England's veteran would still be their best bowler.
England great Anderson will call time to his storied red-ball career when Brendon McCullum's side host West Indies at Lord's, starting on July 10.
The Lancashire bowler leaves the international scene as England's all-time leading wicket-taker in Test cricket, with 700 dismissals in 187 appearances.
His wicket-taking heroics are the most by any pace bowler in Test history, and Anderson's decision came as welcome news to Ashes rival Lyon.
"Obviously, Jimmy Anderson is in the conversation of being the greatest fast bowler of all time," Lyon told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"Good luck to Jimmy and I look forward to playing with him at Lancashire, but I'm glad he won't be coming out to the next Ashes."
Anderson's hand appeared somewhat forced as England started planning for the future, setting their sights on The Ashes in Australia across late 2025 and into 2026.
By the time that Ashes series arrives, Anderson will be 43.
Owing to Anderson's age, England coach McCullum, managing director Rob Key and captain Ben Stokes, want to test the likes of Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts and Gus Atkinson as pace-bowling options.
With Stuart Broad already announcing his retirement after his last outing against Australia, Lyon could not believe England's decision to let Anderson go.
"My care factor for England is pretty low, but I was pretty surprised when I did read that they tapped him on the shoulder," added Lyon.
"I look at James and what he's been able to do for England cricket, it's pretty remarkable.
"This is just my opinion – I still think he would be England's best bowler."
Windies get major boost in rankings ahead of the T20 World Cup
A thumping 3-0 T20 International series sweep over South Africa propelled West Indies up the ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings into fourth place, ahead of the much-anticipated T20 World Cup.
Despite missing a few big faces, West Indies managed to sweep the series, and that along with the rise in rankings should provide a significant boost to the confidence of the Darren Sammy-coached side heading into the June 1-29 showpiece to be hosted in the Caribbean and United States.
With the series win, West Indies (254 rating points), the champions of the 2012 and 2016 editions of the T20 World Cup, are at the fourth place in the list led by 2007 champions India (264 rating points), with 2021 champions Australia (257 rating points) and defending champions England (254 rating points) at the second and third place respectively.
There were individual bright spots for West Indies in the series, who gained substantially in the T20I Player Rankings. This included stand-in skipper Brandon King, whose 159 runs helped him jump up five places to the eighth position in the Men’s T20I Batting Rankings.
His opening partner, Johnson Charles, who hit a blistering 69 from 26 balls in a Player of the Match performance in the third game of the series, gained 17 spots to reach the 20th place.
Meanwhile, Kyle Mayers (31st place in Batting Rankings) and Gudakesh Motie (27th place in Bowling Rankings) were the other beneficiaries from the recently concluded series.
These results bode well for the Men in Maroon, who will be looking for a record third title during their home T20 World Cup. They are placed in Group C along Afghanistan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Uganda.
They start their campaign against Papua New Guinea in Guyana on Sunday.
ICC Men's T20I Team Rankings
India -264 points
Australia - 257 points
England - 254 points
West Indies - 252 points
New Zealand - 250 points
Second washout stops England and Pakistan's T20 World Cup preparation
For the second time this series, England and Pakistan saw a game abandoned due to rain, this time at Sophia Gardens on Tuesday.
After their opening game at Headingley was washed out, the teams endured another frustrating day in Cardiff as the umpires called off the third match without a single bowl being bowled.
England’s 23-run victory at Edgbaston on Saturday means they have an unassailable 1-0 lead in the series.
However, Pakistan have one last chance to level things at The Oval on Thursday before both teams head off to the United States for the T20I World Cup in June.
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