FOR THE FIRST TIME in a decade, the Barbados Cricket Association's (BCA) leading competition is without a sponsor.

The 2008 Division 1 tournament bowled off last Saturday with Banks not extending sponsorship of the tournament it was associated with for the previous five seasons.

It is the third time in recent years the BCA has lost a sponsor for one of its competitions, which is a cause for concern for the board of management.

"We are concerned. We are aware that most corporate entities are facing some challenging times, but we hope that we can improve the product," said first vice-president Conde Riley.

Facilities

"We want to put the necessary facilities available to our young cricketers so that they can become very good cricketers. We have been talking about the Centre of Excellence and we are about to open that.

"I believe in a year or two we will have sponsors running to us to sponsor us because I think our product will be at a level that corporate Barbados will want to be associated with our cricket."

The BCA secured sponsorship for its Division 1 competition in 1992 from Mount Gay which was involved for four seasons.

Courts and Suzuki took over the sponsorship for five years, starting in 1998, and Banks came on board in the middle of the 2003 season.

Apart from missing out on a sponsor for this season's Division 1 competition, the BCA also lost sponsorship of its Division 2 competition and Under-19 schools' tournament a few years ago.

While there is no sponsor for Division 1, clubs have the incentive of vying for increased prize money this season.

The champions will pocket $20 000; the runners-up $10 000, and the second-placed finishers in each zone $6 000.

Prize money

Additionally, the winners of the Upper Intermediate will take home $8 000; Intermediate $6 000, Division 2 $4 000, and the Goddard Enterprises Schools' competition $3 000.

Most of the prize money will come from the BCA's lottery income.

"As you know, we started a lottery some time ago. The revenue stream is underpinning and underwriting the majority of our development and prize money and so on," Riley said.

"We are actively and aggressively trying to improve the standard of our cricket so it will once again become attractive to corporate Barbados.

"Although the sponsorship of Banks has been lost, we have not totally lost the involvement of Banks as a sponsor of our cricket.

"They have expressed a desire to be associated in other ways and that will be announced in due course," he said.