Pennyless All Stars Cricket Club of Nevis receives training equipment compliments WICB incentive program

ZIZ News…Nov 28, 2012 — Vice President of the Pennyless All Stars Cricket Club Brian Dyer, on Tuesday confirmed that his club has successfully written a proposal for and received approval for a grant offered by the West Indies Cricket Board, through sponsors DIGICEL as part as what has been dubbed The West Indies Cricket Board Digicel Grassroots Club Grant Programme.

An obviously elated Dyer displayed the training equipment received via the grant at the ET Willet Park during an exclusive interview with NTV channel 8 Sports.

He explained that it was not an easy road in getting approval for the grant as there were certain stringent requirements involved.

These included formulating a constitution for the club; updating financial accounts and ensuring that there was a proper financial structure in place; allowing the WICB to intermittently audit the club’s financial accounts; acquiring a home ground, among other requirements.

All of the above stipulations were achieved by dint of hard work which included legal assistance from Attorney at Law, Mr. Oral Martin and the Ramsburiy Grounds is now the official home ground of the club in collaboration with the Nevis Island Administration.

Dyer noted that when the eventual approval was received, his club encountered difficulties in acquiring the required training equipment as they were asked to source the equipment and then the WICB would pay the vendor. However, this task proved difficult as some sports shops did not have all of the equipment required, nor the quality being sought and then there was also the consideration of purchasing within the grant amount of $5,000.00 US.

Eventually they received assistance from a vendor in the UK who worked with them in getting the required equipment. He noted that the total sum spent exceeded the $5,000.00 US grant which was paid by the WICB but the club paid somewhere in the vicinity of $900.00 US dollars to take care of shipping and other related expenses.

The club has also signed a Memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the WICB which includes stipulations as to the care of the equipment for up to one year and intermittent visits by members of the Board to monitor the progress of the programs and the use of the equipment.

Dyer indicated that the equipment was purchased with all ages of cricketers taken into consideration. The gear included stuff for children from five years upwards and also for the senior players in the club.

The equipment includes: bats; pads; balls; stumps (including fielding stumps); wicket keeping gloves; batting gloves; cones; gear bags; umpire’s counters; helmets and a drive mower.

Dyer expressed his gratitude to the WICB and DIGICEL for organizing the grant and pledged that his club would make maximum use of the equipment and ensure that they are well taken care of.

He used the opportunity to encourage other clubs on the island to get themselves organized and apply for similar assistance. ‘Clubs can even team up in making the proposal,’ he noted.

The West Indies Cricket Board Digicel Grassroots Club Grant Programme concentrates on three basic areas:

1. Infrastructure development
2. Strengthen training programmes
3. Procurement of gears and equipment