The Central Counties Cricket Association has received a huge boost with former player Barry DeCouto providing $5,000 of sponsorship.

Through his company, DeCouto & Dunstan Real Estate, DeCouto presented Dennis Williams, the president of the association, with the cheque yesterday.

The sponsorship will cover refreshments, meals, player awards and umpires’ fees for three rounds of matches to be played next month between Devonshire Recreation Club, Western Stars, North Village and Tuff Dogs make up the Central Countries.

Western Stars, the defending champions, will open up against Devonshire Rec on June 3, with the winner of that match playing Tuff Dogs on June 10. Whoever comes out on top in that fixture will square off with North Village in the final on June 24.

A relieved Williams indicated that the funds provided by DeCouto gives them an opportunity to go ahead with the competition without any financial worries.

“It’s a great relief to me as president of the of Central Counties that Mr DeCouto has afforded us this. It allows us to run the competition to a great level,’’ Williams said.

“Also the giving of the Man of the Series and Man of the Match awards gives incentives to the players to up their game because it’s something they can look forward to, so it is greatly appreciated, the generosity.”

DeCouto, who represented Somerset in Cup Match and also played for Bermuda, has a lot of history in the competition after playing in it between 1968 and 1993.

The 72-year-old played scored more than 1,100 runs and effected 77 dismissals in the Central Counties for Devonshire Rec as well as the the now defunct National Sports Club.

Regarded as the finest wicketkeeper of his generation, he is delighted to be able to help a competition that has fallen on tough times after being the island’s strongest during the 1980s and 1990s, despite lacking the history of the Eastern Counties and, to a lesser extent, the Western Counties.

“I have a lot of history in that competition, playing four decades and I hate to see the competition and the association suffering for finances to run the event and struggling to meet the different requirements,” DeCouto said.

“Because this competition means a lot to me, that's why I am doing this in conjunction with the Central Counties Association to assist.”