Let’s play ball. A resolution between the National Sports Council (NSC) and organisers of the G4S Masters Cricket Tournament has paved the way for the popular long-standing Over-40s competition to resume next weekend.
Halted last week after what emerged as a misunderstanding over the payment of public liability insurance, the two parties found common ground during a meeting on Wednesday at the NSC headquarters on My Lord’s Hill.
While providing an update on the matter yesterday, Sam Wilkinson, a member of the organising committee of the tournament, which is now into its 37th year, told WEEKENDSPORT they had agreed to pay the cost of the insurance to cover the 13 clubs which use grounds that fall under the responsibility of the NSC. It will involve a premium of less than $1 000 that covers insurance to the amount of $750 000.
“It has been resolved. We’ve agreed that we will pay for these clubs. We’re going to take the parental responsibility, as it were, and settle that and then we will discuss our position, evaluate the circumstances so that when next season comes, everyone is going to be very clear what everyone’s responsibility is in relation to any additional or unforeseen costs,” he said.
Last Friday, the masters tournament organisers announced the cancellation of third round matches set for the following day, citing the introduction of a $500 fee for each club using NSC managed grounds. The NSC responded by pointing out it was not a new measure, but merely the enforcement of an existing policy that requires the payment of public liability insurance which would indemnify the Council against hurt, loss or damage should any unforeseen incident on any of its grounds.
When contacted yesterday, NSC deputy director Neil Murrell also expressed his satisfaction that the two parties were able to reach a resolution.
“We discussed the issue and we amicably resolved them. I don’t think that both parties were poles apart. We’ve resolved it for the betterment of cricket. Masters cricket has served us for the last 37 years. We wish to see that continue. It has good entertainment value. I’m happy that the issues are resolved. It could only rebound to the betterment of cricket in Barbados,” he said.
This year’s tournament, which started on January 27, has attracted 24 teams, 13 of which use grounds that fall under the management of the NSC – Wibix (The Whim), Barbados Cricket League (Lears), King’s Park, Dover, Maxwell, BRC (Content), St John Cultural (Gall Hill), Mapp-West CC (Mapp Hill), Benfica (Blenheim ‘B’), Conrad Hunte Sports Club (Shorey Village), Wotton, Brereton and North Stars (Crab Hill).
With the competition set to resume next week, last Saturday’s third round matches and Sunday’s originally scheduled fourth round games will be played after the completion of the full schedule of preliminary matches.
While expressing satisfaction at the outcome, Wilkinson also said the tournament had played a major role.
“We are satisfied that it makes for good relations with our clubs – over the more than three decades that the tournament will not come to an end abruptly for any misunderstanding or any unforeseen difficulty or hurdle. It is the first time that we had such a challenge in the organisational approach of the competition. It is one of those curves that we will look at very closely as we go ahead and continue from there. We are more than happy,” he said.
“We know that over the years the tournament has served as real opportunity for people over 40 to play happily and enjoy a sport that they love. Our cricket has met that real need for them and it would have been grossly uncomfortable for us not to continue that and to deprive those many people that opportunity of enjoying themselves every weekend for ten weeks every year.” (HG)
