A special dinner, cricket match and a motorcade in Anguilla, and a tour to St. Martin/St. Maarten as well as other activities, were all part of celebrations over the past weekend by the Anguilla Cricket Team which won the Leeward Islands’ three-day competition for the first time.

Presentation to cricketers.

To celebrate our first victory ever “we played a youth team at the park led by Shaka Hodge, Monsin Hodge and Marlon Martin,” said an excited Ralph Hodge, President of the Anguilla Cricket Association. “They joined with the Under 19 Team and played against the Senior Team on the island. We had quite a fantastic match which was won by the President’s Eleven versus a Minister of Sports Team.

“It was a very enjoyable day followed by a motorcade through the middle of the island. We then had a presentation of trophies and the formal distribution of shirts and packages, in terms of financing, which were donated by the business community. It was all in celebration of Anguilla’s first ever victory in the Leeward Islands competition, the first of many we hope for.”

Presentation of cricket T-shirt to Acting Governor

During the ceremony there were short talks by Minister of Sports, Evans Rogers, Cardigan Connor, a member of the team of coaches, Alkins Rogers, Director of Sports, who managed the team very well, and by Mr. Hodge in his role as President of the Cricket Association.

“We had quite an appreciative crowd which has started to come back to cricket,” Hodge reported. “We believe that where Anguilla cricket will go is dependent on crowd support and how beautifully they have supported us this season.

Cricketers with Acting Governor and Mrs. Reid

“We certainly look forward as we go full speed ahead in the years to come that the crowd will always be with us. By my reckoning we certainly have the brightest bunch of youngsters in the Leeward Islands at the moment. We have youngsters who are quite versed in the game and good leadership.

“I want to say thank you to Cardie (Cardigan Connor) who started what I considered a nursery in the early 90s and out of this nursery has come the engines Anguillian cricket in the persons of Shaka Hodge, Omari Banks and Zack who has gone on. We certainly have a good bunch of youngsters – Kelbert Walters, Chesney Hughes, Monsin Hodge and Jahmar Hamilton.

Victorious Anguillian cricketers with trophies

“I can go ahead and name all because all of the players have done wonderful jobs – Yannick, Shridath, Nordel, Dan Dan and others. I sincerely hope that this is where Anguillian cricket starts. The most difficult thing is to do it first and once you do that, you know the road. The Anguillian public will hear a lot about cricket here in the future as it is taken to another level.”

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