on their behalf shows that cricket is still the number one sport in the English-speaking Caribbean.

According to eight out of every 10 people polled, cricket is the most popular sport in the region. More than 1200 people in 11 countries, including Bermuda, were interviewed by telephone survey in March, during the 1998 Cable and Wireless Test series between West Indies and England.

Two-thirds of those polled said they watched some of the series on television, while a third said they had attended or intended to go to a match in the series.

Eighty percent polled agreed with the statement: "Cricket is the most popular sport in the Caribbean''.

Even in Jamaica, where football fever is running high, 62 percent of those polled agreed that cricket was the Caribbean's most popular sport. Eighty-six percent of those polled said at least one member of their family followed cricket.

When asked to name the most popular sport in their own country, respondents in six out of the 11 countries named cricket, ahead of football and basketball.

Ninety-four percent of those polled agreed that Cable and Wireless' support for the 1998 series was important for the game in the West Indies while 81 percent felt West Indies cricket would not survive without the aid of sponsorship.

Eighty-nine percent of those polled agreed that hosting international cricket helped boost tourism and contributed to economic development. This was before newspapers in Barbados reported that overseas visitors who came to watch cricket contributed US$12 million to the local economy in March this year.

Sonny Pearl, Marketing Communications Manager for Cable and Wireless, said: "We carry out research to see how the public and our customers respond to our support for West Indies cricket.

"We're very pleased to know that rumours of cricket's demise have been greatly exaggerated and that people in the Caribbean still have a great love for the game. During the excitement of this year's series, it was hard to believe that cricket was in the doldrums, as some commentators claimed. It's good to see that the general public don't agree with the doomsayers.

"We're also pleased that people recognise the importance of sponsorship for the future of cricket, and its value to tourism and economic development. This validates our continued financial contribution to West Indies cricket.'' Andrew Sealy, Executive Secretary of the West Indies Cricket Board, said: "We've been working very hard, with players, administrators, supporters and sponsors, to breathe new life into West Indies cricket.

"This research shows that our work is bearing fruit. The `Cricket is My Game' campaign, run by the Board of Control and Cable and Wireless, has helped to bring new sponsors to the game.

"Hundreds of thousands of people attended matches in the 1998 Test series.

We'll be working to build on that success in coming years.'' Cable and Wireless were the official sponsors of the 1998 series between West Indies and England and will be the official sponsor of the series between the West Indies and Australia next year as part of a six-year, US$12.6 million deal which runs until 2001.