Cann wins Safe Hands Award

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3: Lionel Cann became only the sixth St George’s Cup Match player to win the coveted Safe Hands Award this year.

The veteran cricketer beat out St George’s teammate Fiqre Crockwell for the top award for an outstanding running catch to dismiss Somerset’s Malachi Jones (0) off the bowling of fellow St David’s Islander Justin Pitcher in the first innings.

Coincidentally, Cann also smashed the winning runs off Jones to seal St George’s enthralling two-wicket win at Wellington Oval last week. 

For his superb prowess in the field the 38-year-old cricketer pocketed $1,000 in cash, two round trip airline tickets to a gateway city, new playing kit as well as the Calvin ‘Bummy’ Symonds Cup.

During Monday’s award ceremony at Cabinet Building Safe Hands Award founder Rolf Commissiong described this year’s Cup Match as one of the most “exciting” and “drama-filled” and also gave honourable mention to Somerset captain Jekon Edness and St George’s Allan Douglas jr for their excellence in the field.

Symonds, St George’s most successful Cup Match captain, praised Cann for his outstanding fielding and batting and implored him to “hang around” for a few more years.

Cann in turn assured Symonds that he will stay around for “a couple more years” to help groom the youngsters at St George’s.

He also described Symonds as a “great player” and said it was an “honour” to receive the Calvin ‘Bummy’ Symonds Cup from the ex-St George’s captain.

The Safe Hands Award was inaugurated in 1998 and was first won by Somerset’s Janeiro Tucker, one of only three players to win the award on multiple occasions.

Clay Smith was the first St George’s player to win the award in 2002.