Some seventy students from Campuses A and B of the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School began the school’s Second Annual Inter-House Cricket Competition on Monday September 19. According to Cricket Development Officer, Cardigan Connor, the matches will continue until Friday September 30 but may be extended for a third week.

Cricket officials, sponsors and team captains

The competing teams, sponsored by Cap Juluca, represent Orange, Maroon, Yellow, Pink and Purple Houses. Last year the tournament was won by Pink House.
Apart from the sportsmanship and pleasure the competition provides for the youngsters, it assists in the selection and training of teams for local and regional competitions. One such upcoming match is the Under 15 Leeward Islands Tournament in December and there will be selections from among this group of young players for squad training. Others will later be selected to play in the Under 19 Tournament in the summer of next year.

“We are trying to keep tabs on all the youngsters,” Mr. Connor told The Anguillian at the opening ceremony of the Inter-house Cricket Competition. “The other aspect is that the school’s team for the local tournament will be selected from these cricketers as well. What you find is that there is a big difference in the level of some of the kids – the 17-year olds as opposed to the 13-year olds, but it is getting the right balance is what we are looking for.”

Members of the five competing houses at the Ronald Webster Park Pavillion

Addressing the opening ceremony, Mr. Connor commended Cap Juluca and its General Manager, Eustace Guishard, for their role in cricket sponsorship and promotion particularly among the youth of Anguilla. He urged the youngsters to take hold of the opportunities being provided to them to develop their cricketing skills, noting that they could become professional cricketers in the regional or international scene if they applied themselves.

Referring to the success at Cap Juluca, Mr. Guishard emphasised the importance of teamwork among the young cricketers and spoke about his early involvement in the sport at school level. He advised the students to compete well and in a fair manner.

John Martin, a former Physical Education Teacher, now working at the Sports Department, spoke on behalf of the Minister of Social Development, Evans Rogers, who was not present at the time. He thanked Cap Juluca for sponsoring the student cricketers so as to help them use their energies productively. He expressed the hope that there would be separate competitions for Campuses A and B students saying that when they played together the older and more experienced players dominated the matches. He explained that having two tournaments would help to bring out the talent in both campuses. He congratulated all the students who are participating in the current inter-house tournament.
Principal of the school, Darwin Hazel, paid tribute to the kindness of Cap Juluca and Mr. Guishard for their financial support and “for the glamour, interest and all that is needed to make a tournament like this a success.” He applauded the fourteen or fifteen players in each house for being attired in their uniforms, for showing enthusiasm, zest and respect and a willingness to obey the rules of the sport.

Members of the five competing houses at the Ronald Webster Park Pavillion

Mr. Hazel said sport was a very vital part of the school’s programme and that this year, for the first time, a number of students would be writing Physical Education at CXC level. He charged the students to put their best efforts in the competition and to make it a success. He called on the young cricketers to show some good fielding during the competition and offered a special principal’s prize to the player who achieved the greatest number of run-outs in the tournament.

The final speaker was Sports Director, Alkins Rogers, who emphasised the importance of sporting activities and declared open the tournament. He was very appreciative of the role being played by Cap Juluca in cricket development especially at school level.

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