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The West Indies Cricket Board Digicel Grassroots Cricket Programme 2011, which has been reinvigorating youth cricket across the Caribbean since April, came to a close yesterday with a series of cluster games across nine countries.

Over 2600 aspiring young cricketers from across Grenada, BVI, St. Lucia, Anguilla, St. Vincent, Monserrat, Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Antigua have been engaged in free cricket coaching sessions since the programme kicked off in April this year and culminated in a series of friendly games between their communities and clubs, brought together and hosted by the WICB and Digicel over the past two weeks.

Digicel Group Head of Sponsorship, Karl Donnelly, said; “Digicel is committed to bringing the fun, excitement and passion of cricket to as many people as possible across the region. Supporting the game at grassroots level is vital in ensuring that the future of West Indies cricket burns brightly – and the hopes and dreams of players and fans alike are realised.

“As such, we are thrilled that this year’s WICB Digicel Grassroots Cricket Programme has had such a positive impact on the 2600 young cricketers who took part and we look forward to bringing the programme to many more aspiring young cricketers in 2012,” he continued.

In Grenada, the combined clubs of St. David and St. George played another combined team from clubs St. Andrew and St. Patrick to win the final game by six wickets.

In St. Lucia, the last inter cluster games were held at the Mindoo Phillip Park in October where the Under 15s and Under 17 teams from the Northern and Central clusters played each other in limited overs matches. The Under 17s shared the 15-overs a side two match series, while the Northern Cluster won the Under 15s 10-overs a side match.

In Dominica, the Digicel Grassroots Cricket Clinic was held at the Jolly John’s Park on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th December when all three clusters, Roseau, Portsmouth and Carib Territory participated. The competition climaxed with the Kalinago Cluster winning the final match by six wickets.

The final games in Anguilla; Antigua; Guyana and St. Kitts and Nevis were postponed due to inclement weather.

The WICB Digicel Grassroots Cricket Programme catered to youth cricketers from the age of 12 to 17 and was hosted in Trinidad & Tobago, BVI, Antigua, St. Maarten, St. Kitts & Nevis, Barbados, St, Lucia, Grenada, Dominica, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Jamaica and Guyana from April to December 2011.