A series of one-day cricket matches, sponsored by NAGIGO Insurance, began at the Ronald Webster Park in Anguilla on Sunday, November 4,.
Cricket Development Officer in Anguilla, Cardigan Connor, said it was a special day for NAGICO in that it was the company’s tenth year of sponsoring the Leeward Islands’ Cricket Competition, thus giving players a better opportunity to compete on the West Indies stage. He was grateful to the company for its continuing support.
NAGICO’s Acting Manager in Anguilla, Carlyn Carty, said the company was delighted to sponsor this year’s 50-50 cricket tournament and looked forward to its continued sponsorship.
“NAGICO is celebrating its Thirtieth Anniversary this year,” she went on. “We have branches in twenty territories throughout the Caribbean region. We pride ourselves on our hard work, our dedicated team, our CEOs and Directors, our Managers and Staff and our Agents. We all play vital roles in NAGICO’s 20-20 vision. In advancing this vision, we hope to continue our support of cricket and sports on a whole; education in Anguilla and the rest of the Caribbean region to which we give most generously.
“We hope that with this sponsorship that we would see the majority of the youth taking the sport further into the international league, and soon we will be rallying around theWest Indies. Cricket is a wonderful and spectacular game to watch, play and to entertain.”
President of the Anguilla Cricket Association, Rommel Hughes, said that over the past ten years NAGICO, and the then President of the Leeward Islands’ Cricket Association, had agreed to sponsor the NAGICO 50-over one-day tournament.
“This tenth anniversary has been a remarkable journey particularly in light of the fact that, for the last fifteen years, the tournament has been the only sponsored cricket tournament in the sub-region,” he continued. “The anniversary is even more remarkable when we consider the financial difficulties the region and the world have been undergoing over the last five years.”
He said the milestone of sponsorship revealed a great deal about NAGICO and its Directors, and their commitment to the development of cricket in the region generally, and to Leeward Islands’ cricket specifically.
Vice President of the Leeward Islands’ Cricket Association, Benjamin Hughes, said Anguilla was happy to be included in NAGICO’s cricket sponsorship. He stated that the insurance company was expecting better cricketing for its sponsorship and that unless cricketers perform more, the company would not give more.
“This sponsorship is at the crossroads – I can tell you that much,” Mr. Benjamin cautioned. “It is for you Anguilla, and you Montserrat, to grab hold of it and ensure that it continues for the next ten years. The territorial boards and the administrators of Leewards’ cricket have to do more themselves,” he said.“I admonished you Montserrat,Anguilla and administrators of the game to give one hundred per cent to NAGICO’s sponsorship.”
The opening ceremony was followed by the first match between Anguilla and Montserrat. Montserrat scored 211 runs all out; and Anguilla scored 212 for 3, winning by seven wickets. Anguilla and St. Maarten played on Tuesday and both teams have qualified for the semi-finals to be played either on Friday or Saturday in St. Maarten.
The first set of one-day matches was played in Anguilla from Sunday to Tuesday and the second set in St. Maarten from Wednesday to the end of this week. The competing teams were Anguilla, Nevis, St. Kitts., Montserrat, St. Maarten and Antigua.
