Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer
Cable and Wireless's Andre McCarty (left) collects the Abe Alexander Memorial Trophy for highest score (114) in the Best Dressed KO competition from vice-president of the Business House Cricket Board, Oscar Hamilton, at Saturday night's annual awards ceremony at the Knutsford Court hotel. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
CABLE AND Wireless Jamaica (CWJ) and St Ann Jamaica Bauxite Partners won the bulk of the awards at the 70th anniversary presentation dinner of the Business House Cricket Board on Saturday night at the Knutsford Court hotel, New Kingston.
The teams shared the Digicel 20/20 trophy, while Cable and Wireless won the Reggae Jammin Foods 50-over competition trophy as well as the 35-over Business House Cricket Board trophy.
Cable & Wireless also copped the C. Lloyd Allen Trophy for the most disciplined team, the Business House Cricket Board Trophy as the best attired team along with the zone winner trophy, while the Abe Alexander Memorial Trophy for highest score (114) in the Best Dressed KO competition went to their best known player, former Jamaica and West Indies youth representative, Andre McCarty.
Other awards
If that wasn't enough, Cable & Wireless won other awards. Their captain, Colin Bailey, took The Gleaner Independence Trophy as sportsman of the year, while teammate Fitzroy Peterkin won the bowling averages, not to mention the best bowling performance (five for 14) and top bowler award in the Reggae Jammin competition as well.
Marvin Lobban received an award for his performance in the Business House Cricket Board KO competition, and Dave Johnson the Bill Stewart Trophy for top bowling performance (four for six) in the KO competition.
In addition to sharing the Digicel 20/20 Trophy, St Ann Bauxite won the 30-over Best Dressed KO Chicken Trophy, while other awards went to their top players - former national player Orville Pennant who won the Sellie Mitchell award for highest score in the Business House Board KO competition; national player Xavier Marshall for scoring one of the competition's three centuries (118) and Shane Powell for his batting in the Best Dressed KO competition.
Players' awards
Other awards went to NWC's pair of Garwain Johnson and Fabian Forbes for having won the Spoerri double-wicket competition and Johnson for taking the only hat-trick in any competition.
Junior Stewart of Nestles won the Cosmo Grant Performance Trophy for most runs and also claimed a second trophy for winning the batting average with 134.50.
Errol Thomas was awarded the Oscar Hamilton Trophy for the top bowling performance in the Best Dressed competition and Digicel's Xavier Scott for most wickets (14) in the KO competition.
Other players clinching awards for centuries were Junior Stewart, who slammed 193 not out against Windalco, and Jamalco's Dwaine Mahabeer (108 vs LOJ).
Commemorative plaques
Neville Morris won the outstanding umpire award, while Carlton Marshall received the Izett McCalla Trophy as most improved umpire.
In recognition of the competition's 70th year in 2007, all members of the board received commemorative plaques.
They were Sellie Mitchell, who has been associated with the competition as player and board member for 51 years having played for Metal Box since 1956; vice-president Oscar Hamilton, who was also a player for ICD from as early as the 1960s; Izel McCalla, former captain of ICD; Noel Clarke; Roxvanne Stevens; Oneil Nelson; Karl Downer; Ephriam McLeod; Leon Taylor; former player Statham Graham; Garwain Johnson and current secretary Paul Edwards.
Guest speaker was well known sports administrator Michael Hall, who traced the evolution of sports from the 1970s to the present, while board president Cosmo Grant thanked Jamaica Broilers, Digicel and Windalco for their sponsorship of the various competitions.
Pat Anderson, a former president of both the JFF and JAAA, who first played Business House cricket for The Gleaner in the early 1950s when it was then known as the Beacon Cup and later Henriques Cup, brought greetings as the past players representative.
