Naomi Hall is bouyed by the return of the Wray and Nephew National Community T20 Cricket competition.

Hall, the captain of the West Portland Strikers T20 team, is determined to lead her team to the finals this year.

Hall has been playing cricket all her life and has been a part of the SDC competition since it began. She believes that the right team effort will lead to victory this Saturday (July 23).

“I have been playing cricket since I was about eight years old. I played with the boys. I am an allrounder and I am there to ensure that I bring my team over the line. It would be the first time for us getting past the semifinals, but with the help of all the players coming together, we will get over that hurdle come Saturday,” Hall shared.

Hall also said that the Wray & Nephew SDC cricket competition has usurped all other competitions.

“Our tournament in Portland is now cancelled because everybody is excited to play the Wray and Nephew SDC cricket. We usually play our Credit Union tournament, but everyone is excited to play Wray & Nephew cricket, not just only for cricket, but because of the pandemic players weren’t able to see each other. Everybody is happy for the togetherness and the excitement of Wray & Nephew, the fun and the enjoyment of the game,” Hall added.

She is counting on the impact of her best cricketers to continue to motivate and inspire the others in the team.

“Having Chinelle Henry, who is a West Indies allrounder, and Jody Ann Brown, a national representative, it gives my players a feeling of confidence and they want it more. Everybody wants to play, you don’t get any laziness, you don’t get any droopiness, everybody is in it, everybody is ready to win it,” she declared.

GRATEFUL FOR RETURN OF FAVOURITE PASTIME

Meanwhile, Samuel McIntosh, who is the captain of Days Mountain Strikers, has grown up playing the SDC competition.

“I have been playing cricket for 15 years and I have been playing this competition since I have won the SDC competition twice. I played as a schoolboy the first time and I won. Now I am the skipper,” he revealed.

McIntosh, who is a wicketkeeper and batsman, said that playing in the competition as a schoolboy helped him to develop while still at St Mary High School.

“That period of time helped me to mature in the game because I was playing with a lot of senior players and they guided me along the way.”

He expressed his gratitude for the return of his favourite pastime.

“We are grateful because in Days Mountain we are all cricket lovers and to see Wray & Nephew coming in and sponsoring the cricket so the game can be played, it is a tremendous feeling, that’s a big plus.”

COMPETITION BRINGS COMPANY CLOSER TO CUSTOMERS

Pavel Smith, marketing manager at J Wray & Nephew Ltd, said the competition has allowed the company to get close to its most loyal customers.

“This platform brings us to the communities, the pulse of the nation. We continue this partnership each year because it brings us closer to our consumers at the grassroots level.

“It is important to us to reciprocate the appreciation we are shown. Our consumers continue to show us love and loyalty and they continue to display that pride in the Wray & Nephew brand as their spirit. Partnerships like SDC cricket provide a platform into the communities to show Wray and Nephew’s support,” Smith explained.