The Grace Headley Cup bowled off on Tuesday January 17, 2006 at the Kirkvine Sports Club, Manchester, with defending champions Holmwood Technical High facing Albert Town High.

Members of the cricket fraternity including Jeffery Dujon, National Cricket Coaching Director; Phillip Service, West Indies Cricket Board Territorial Officer; and Patrick "Bunny" Anderson, President, Manchester Cricket Association, showed their support at the launch of the competition.

Speaking at the event, Clement Radcliffe, President of the Inter Secondary School Sports Association (ISSA), lauded GraceKennedy for the support of rural cricket. "For years, the bats and balls have been the placards, and the rural players continuously crying out for justice, but GraceKennedy has heard those cries for justice and has responded favourably," said Mr. Radcliffe.

National Cricket Coaching Director, Jeffery Dujon offers advice to pace bowlers Jeffery Sitcheron (left) and Bruce Blackwood (centre) of defending champions Holmwood Technical High.

The Financial Services Division of GraceKennedy made history with its landmark sponsorship of both urban and rural cricket schoolboy cricket. The sponsorship of the 2006 schoolboy cricket will see 73 schools vying for the Grace Headley Cup and 31 teams competing for the Grace Shield. GraceKennedy also sponsors the Grace Rural Under-16 and the Grace Rural Under-14 competitions, as well as the Grace Under-16 and Grace Jackie Hendricks Under-14.

"For years the Headley Cup has been the incubator of talented players who have gone on to represent both Jamaica and the West Indies," said Paul Mitchell, Finance Director, JIIC. " We are very proud to be associated with the Headley Cup, Jamaica's premier rural schoolboy cricket competition. We have had considerable success with the Grace Shield Competition and in tribute to that old saying- Kingston is not Jamaica -we felt it was time to offer rural cricket a similar level of support."

Paul Mitchell(right), Finance Director, JIIC, shares a joke with Radcliffe Daley, Vice- President, Retail Banking, First Global Bank, (centre) and Phillip Service, West Indies Cricket Board Territorial Officer.

The opening match of the Grace Headley Cup saw defending champions Holmwood Technical High defeating Albert Town High by ten wickets. Batting first, Albert Town was bundled out for a modest 54 as only Kirk Fisher, 20 offered any resistance to the leg spin of Oshane Jones, who took 5-12 off 7.2 overs and off-spinner Ziggy Levy who took 3-19, from ten overs.

In reply Holmwood openers, Marlon Johnson 31 not out and Jeffery Scott 22 not out cruised to victory, reaching 58 without loss.

How's That! Holmwood Technical High's strike bowler, Ricardo Sitcheron, in foreground, and Wicketkeeper, Jeffery Scott makes a successful appeal for a leg-before wicket decision against Albert Town's opening batsman Dexton Brown (centre) during the opening match.

Posted: January 20, 2006