'We'll do everything to keep the Cup'

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15: Somerset’s 10 wicket victory over St George’s may have been 10 days ago, but the west enders are still on a high.

Yesterday, Premier Paula Cox and her Cabinet honoured Somerset’s Cup Match team at the National Sports Centre with a luncheon. The Premier and Sports Minister Glenn Blakeney offered words of congratulations before sitting down to a meal together.

Somerset skipper Jekon Edness said so much has happened since the huge win, that he “hasn’t had a chance to sit down and reflect just yet. Maybe that will come in the winter, but for now we’re enjoying the moment.

“Right now it’s go, go, go and we don’t mind these festivities. This should be celebrated as it’s been a while since we’ve had the cup. Now that we have it, we’re just trying to enjoy the moment and start our planning for next year.”

Edness said Somerset’s training camp was a key building block in the whole margin of victory.

“We trained extremly hard and the thanks have to go out to the coaches, Albert Steede, Jeff Richardson, Andre Manders, Reggie Tucker and Mark Trott.

“We had an excellent training camp and we had positive vibes throughout that training camp and that just transferred to the match.”

He said the win has had a huge positive boost as the majority of the players had never won the Cup before.

“I know for myself and a lot of the senior players who haven’t had the Cup for the past seven years, we’re going to do everything we can to keep it and continue to win.

“Greg Maybury and Tre Manders have been lucky being that this was their colt year and they won, so they’re spoiled.

“St George’s don’t like to lose and we don’t like to lose so we’re going to try and keep this going for years to go.”

Premier Cox told the team: “It is my absolute joy to be here this afternoon to formally extend congratulations to you on your momentous Cup Match win.

“For two days, I along with thousands of other residents witnessed a thrilling display of leadership, strategy, athleticism and sportsmanship.

“Your victory, under the stellar guidance of skipper Edness, is an event that will not soon be forgotten. You kept us on the edge of our seats and even now, more than a week later the Island is still abuzz with intense debate and discussion of your historical win.”

She said Somerset’s victory has no doubt “inspired countless young people to becoming the next generation of Cup Match heroes. And with your decisive and commanding Cup Match victory you have certainly given us something here at home to cheer about.”

Minister Blakeney added he would hate to be in the position of trying to decide who the MVP of Cup Match was as there were stellar performances from the young Maybury to the veteran Janeiro Tucker.

He said: “This bodes well for the future of the game.”