Published 4 June 2019
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
Development Bank is Nevis Masters Cricket Club’s premium sponsor
Charlestown, Nevis, June 4, 2019 (DBSKN) — The Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis, and the Nevis branch in particular, was last year named the ‘Home of Masters’ after the Leeward Islands Masters Cricket Tournament champion team the Nevis Masters Cricket Club placed the two trophies awarded to them in the custody of the bank.
“Now that we have the trophies we are placing them at the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis’ office, and the reason being because Development Bank has been on board with us for quite some years,” President of the Nevis Masters Cricket Association, Mr Franklyn ‘Kut’ Daniel had said when he handed the trophies to Branch Manager Ms Hyacinth Pemberton last year. “We feel like they (Development Bank) have earned themselves the ‘Home of Masters’.”
Mr Daniel was back at the Nevis Branch of the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis on Wednesday May 29 to collect a sponsorship cheque from the bank, as the champion team will be leaving for Antigua on Thursday June 6 to defend the title at this year’s Leeward Islands Masters Cricket Tournament which takes place from Friday June 7 to Sunday June 9.
According to Mr Daniel, Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis continues to be the team’s premium sponsor and this year it has increased the amount of sponsorship to $10,000. To show appreciation to the sponsor and the fans, the team has been practising hard to ensure that they retain the trophy and bring it back to the Development Bank for safe keeping.
As part of the team’s training, it has been involved in matches against the Nevis Under-19 team, and according to Mr Daniel, “these are young powerful guys with a lot of energy and so if we make 150 runs against the Under-19, that is like 225 runs against a Masters’ team, because whereby we are able to get one here we would be able to get two and three from them older guys. That is a good practise for us.”
Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis’ Branch Manager for Nevis Ms Hyacinth Pemberton congratulated the Nevis Masters Cricket team for making serious preparations as they prepare to go to Antigua to defend the title that they would have won five times – 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2018.
“The Nevis Masters Cricket team is a good role model for our youth in this country and we at the Development Bank salute their efforts in turning our youth around and keeping them meaningfully occupied through sports,” said Ms Pemberton. “By using the young players for their training, they are passing on their years of experience to them. The future of cricket is bright in Nevis, and in the Federation on a whole.”
Good news for fans of the Nevis Masters Cricket team is that apart from the formidable team that it had last year, it has in its line-up star players Stuart Williams and Virgil Browne, who were on duties for the Senior West Indies team last year. The team also has the services of wicketkeeper Joel Simmonds who played for Nevis and the Leeward Islands. It is managed by Oscar ‘Astro’ Browne and the captain is former West Indies player Carl Tuckett.
The Nevis Masters Cricket team is upbeat as much as it is going to face Antigua and Barbuda at home. Along with Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda is the only other team that would have won the Leeward Islands Masters Tournament championship five times – 2003, 2007, 2008, 2011 and 2012. With the new line-up and the training routine the team has endured, Nevis stands a good chance of retaining the trophy.
“This year the team is pretty much jelled together, so we expect great performance from the guys,” the Nevis Masters Cricket Association President, Mr Franklyn ‘Kut’ Daniel, told Development Bank’s Branch Manager Ms Hyacinth Pemberton. “Remember last year we said this is the home for the Masters trophy. That has been established, and so we owe it to the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis, Nevis preferably. And then you are celebrating 38 years, so we have more reasons to join that celebration as well.”
ENDS
Pix captions:
1: President of the Nevis Masters Cricket Association, Mr Franklyn ‘Kut’ Daniel, and Development Bank’s Manager for Nevis Branch Ms Hyacinth Pemberton with trophies at the Development Bank.
2: Development Bank’s Manager for the Nevis Branch Ms Hyacinth Pemberton presents bank’s sponsorship to President of the Nevis Masters Cricket Association, Mr Franklyn ‘Kut’ Daniel.
