Former Jamaica and West Indies cricketer Mark Neita was returned unopposed as President of the Melbourne Cricket Club for an eleventh consecutive term at the club’s 127^th annual general meeting held on Thursday at the club's grounds in Kingston.

Robert Wright was elevated to the role of first vice-president while Carlton Facey was voted in as second vice-president.

Diann Campbell, who was appointed to the CWI Board of Directors in April, will serve as secretary while Richard Gayle was returned unopposed as treasurer.

Former Jamaica and West Indies batsman Robert Samuels was also returned unopposed as club captain.

Special thanks to our outgoing 1st Vice President - Mr. Zachary Harding, 2nd Vice President - Mr. James Stewart, Honorary Secretary - Mr. Neil Reese for their invaluable contribution, Also Mr. Dimario McDowell.

Evon Reid, Christopher Spencer and Paul Stewart will all return as members of the club’s committee alongside new members Tareque White and former Jamaica batsman Jon-Ross Campbell.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank those who served with me in the past,” Neita said on Thursday.

“To my new team, I want to say how proud I am of this group of individuals. I feel really encouraged that we have people who will go forward and do well for us,” he added.

US Ambassador to Jamaica Noah Nickolas Perry was inducted into the Cricket Hall of Fame during a brief ceremony at the Melbourne Cricket Club in Kingston on Friday.

Established in the United States in 1981, the Cricket Hall of Fame was set up to honour individuals who have contributed to the sustained growth and development of cricket in the United States and Canada and for individuals who have played at the international level who have had distinguished careers in the sport.

Ambassador Perry, who was born in Jamaica and attended Kingston College, through his work as a New York State Assemblyman, helped promote and sustain the growth of cricket in the USA during his illustrious career in that capacity.

The ambassador was gracious in acceptance of the recognition.

“I want to thank Ruby Harris-Singh, a neighbour and supporter in New York in my previous life as a politician and as a member of the New York State Assembly where I served for 30 years and honed a lot of public skills to support and work for the people, passing laws that impacted lives and with the intent to improve the quality of life but not forgetting that a part of the quality of life is the pleasure of being able to play sports you like,” he said, “and the game of cricket; I did everything I could to make sure that New York’s government recognized the importance of cricket to the Caribbean-American Diaspora and that we are given rights and privileges to use the public parks and public sites to play the game we love.”

He also thanked the Mayor of Kingston Delroy Williams and Melbourne Cricket Club President Mark Neita and Mike Chambers Executive Director of the Cricket Hall of Fame, and others who made the occasion possible.

“I am really honoured to be here and I want to thank the Cricket Hall of Fame for this recognition.”

Former Jamaica and West Indies spinner, Nikita Miller is to open his cricket academy later this month.