A trail, blazed by Omari Banks, the first Anguillian cricketer to win selection on the West Indies cricket team, has now been taken up by another proud Anguillian, Jahmar Hamilton. He will be playing in next week’s test match against Sri Lanka in Trinidad, commencing on June 6.
“Jahmar is one of my boys,” a delighted Cardigan Connor, who made Anguilla proud in professional county cricket in Hampshire, England, in his earlier years, commented. Connor, who on his retirement and return to Anguilla, was appointed Cricket Development Officer, was the main coach for Jahmar and other young Anguillian boys, a number of whom have gone on to represent Anguilla in regional and international cricket matches.
Mr. Connor, who is now the Government’s Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, Sports and Culture, further said: “One of the greatest gifts that I think I have had is not just the ability to play the game, but be able to come back home and assist others. The fact that Jahmar has reached to the heights where he is now says much about him as a person but also, I think, for us as an island of the athletic quality we can produce.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Connor is among an Anguillian delegation now in England for a fund-raising dinner and cricket match at Lloyds. It is a West Indies 20-20 international match against players from around the world. The funds raised from both events will be shared among Anguilla, Dominica, the British Virgin Islands, St. Martin/St. Maarten and Barbuda to help rebuild some of the facilities badly damaged by hurricanes Irma and Maria.
Mr. Connor is accompanied in England by Minister of Sports, Mr. Evan McNiel Rogers; Permanent Secretary, Tourism, Mr. Larry Franklin; media representative, Mr. Wycliffe Richardson of ATV; and Omari Banks, the former Anguillian West Indies test cricketer. Omari, now a regional and international musical entertainer and singer, joined the rest of the Anguillian delegation from India where he has been on a tour.
