Photo Credit: Cricket West Indies
Members of the cricket family have expressed great excitement and anticipation about the recently launched Republic Bank “5-for-Fun initiative and have praised the organisers for coming up with the novel idea. Qiana Joseph, the West Indies Women’s left-handed allrounder; along with Garey Mathurin, the former West Indies Men’s left-arm spinner and St Lucia captain, threw their full support before the new initiative. Their sentiments were shared by Carol Henry, President of the St Lucia National Cricket Association (SLNCA).
Republic Bank and Cricket West Indies partnered to create and trial this unique 5-over, 5-player format of the game that sees CWI leveraging their extensive coaching and school’s development infrastructure and Republic Bank’s group-wide “Power to Make a Difference” programme.
“As a young girl growing up in St Lucia it was always my dream to play for the West Indies. I started from primary school and in my community to play for fun then as I got older and started playing for clubs and Windward Islands, I knew that wearing the maroon was the next step,” said Joseph. “It’s good to see this programme being launched to get boys and girls involved in cricket from an early age and I know it’s going to help develop more players in my home country and around the West Indies.”
Mathurin said:
“It’s great to hear and to see the children having fun and learning to play the game at the same time. This is exactly what you need at an early age, to see them developing a love and passion for cricket. This tournament has the right mix of skills and enjoyment and I want to say how pleased I am to see successful the start of the project was in St Lucia. Let’s hope this is the beginning of great things to come for our boys and girls in the West Indies.”
Henry said:
“Cricket is one of the unifying forces in the region and the world over … it is one of the activities that brings the region together. Without cricket, there would be a void… it is one of the times where our stars get to shine on the global stage. So, cricket is a very important development tool for young aspiring persons in St Lucia and around the West Indies and we are delighted to have the 5-for-Fun where we can sow the seeds of passion, participation, togetherness and unity.”
5-for-Fun is designed around the principles of fun, inclusion, and equality. The ‘fun’ elements of the game are rooted in its speed, energy, and uncomplicated rules. Each 5-for-Fun game involves five (5) players per team playing five (5) 6-ball overs each. Each batter faces an over from a single bowler. If a batter is ‘Out’, they will still face their allotted over, but 3 runs will be deducted from the team score. The ‘inclusion and equality’ elements ensure boys and girls of all abilities have the opportunity to play together as equals.
