STETHS, Innswood top Grace cricket awards

Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

Rural area and all-island champions St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) and urban-area kingpins Innswood High walked away with most of the awards at the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Grace cricket competitions awards ceremony which was held at the sponsor's head office on Harbour Street last weekend.

STETHS, who easily have been the number one cricketing high school in the last five years, took home trophies for winning the league Headley Cup and limited overs competitions, while Innswood added the league Grace Shield and JIIC Insurance trophy to their cabinet for the first time.

There were also individual awards for both teams, with STETHS' coach, Clive Ledgister, capturing the Coach of the Year, and with it the Rafael Diaz Trophy, while his team's captain, Paul Palmer Jr, won the Cartlon Alexander Award for leadership and discipline.

Meanwhile, Innswood saw a number of its players pocketing awards for making centuries and taking seven wickets or more in an innings.

The main individual prize, the Douglas Orane Shield and four-year University scholarship for exemplary performance on and off the field, went to Meadowbrook High's captain, Oshane Walker.

Top wicket-taker

An off-spinning all-rounder, Walker, who will be attending the University of Technology (UTech) in September, claimed 64 wickets and the top wicket-taker award in the Grace Shield. He passed eight CXC 'O' Levels, four with distinction, and he also passed four CAPE 'A' Levels.

Other team awards went to Meadowbrook for winning the Grace Shield 'A' League, St Catherine High for claiming the Allied Insurance Brokers Under-16 Trophy and BB Coke High for copping the First Global Financial Services Under-15 Trophy.

The Grace Jackie Hendriks Under-14 competition was abandoned in early June due to disruptions from the state of emergency and inclement weather.

The top four teams in the rural area - STETHS, Holmwood, Manchester and Tacky High; and in the urban area - Innswood, Eltham, St Catherine and Excelsior, also received cash awards ranging between $65,000 and $20,000.

Grace Kennedy's chief operating officer, Don Wehby, who delivered greetings on behalf of the sponsors, praised the support of the key stakeholders and challenged the players to make the most of their future endeavours.

"Wherever you go and whatever field of play you decide on in the future, make your life an amazing innings so that others will want to emulate you," said Wehby.

Meanwhile, Maurice Foster, who was the guest speaker, shared memories of his experiences as a West Indies and Jamaica player, and also charged the players to make use of the opportunity of playing in the competitions.

"If we can get one player here representing the West Indies and two players representing Jamaica, all of this would be worth it," Foster declared.