GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Guyana’s budding, young cricketers will get a chance to shine during the First Digicel Test match between West Indies and Pakistan. Close to 150 schoolchildren will take centre stage at the Guyana National Stadium as part of the Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket Programme.
The students will demonstrate their cricketing skills and love for the game during the lunch interval on the second day today, and tomorrow. The talented boys and girls have been chosen from 14 primary schools across the country and will be displaying their batting, bowling and fielding skills under the supervision of their coaches.
These schools include Enterprise Primary (Central East Coast Demerara), Vreed-en-Hoop Primary (West Bank Demerara), Coomacka Primary (Upper Demerara/Sosedyke Highway), Queenstown Primary (Essequibo Coast), St John the Baptist Primary (Bartica), Parika-Salem Primary (East Bank Essequibo), All Saints Primary (New Amsterdam/Canje/East Bank Berbice), Enterprise Primary (South Georgetown), Helena Primary (Upper East Coast Demerara), Leonora Primary (West Coast Demerara), Timehri Primary (East Bank Demerara), Belladrum Primary (West Coast Berbice), No.71 Primary (Corentyne) and F. E. Pollard (East Georgetown).
In addition to the display, Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket Ball Boys and Girls will be part of the action during the first and second Digicel Test matches to aid players with the recovery of balls hit to the boundary.
Commenting on this year’s Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket activities for the Digicel Series, WICB Project Officer for Kiddy Cricket, KJ Singh said: “The Kiddy Cricket lunch interval displays over the years gave our children the opportunity to showcase the cricketing skills they have developed during the programme, and more importantly, it allowed them to build confidence by performing on an international stage.”
He added: “This year the WICB and Scotiabank have added a ball boy and ball girl component allowing the Kiddy cricketers to have an active role in the matches and also share in the fun and excitement with their West Indies heroes.”
“Scotiabank is delighted to be the sponsor of Kiddy Cricket as we see tangible benefits for our children and the sport generally.
“It feels great to know that we are growing the sport by developing players from primary school age who will one day become players for our country and our region,” said Jennifer Cipriani-Nelson, Scotiabank’s Marketing Manager for Guyana.
“What is even more important is that we are giving our children an opportunity to realise their dreams, and even if some don’t become cricketers, they would still have benefited from the life skills taught during the programme and the joy of playing cricket. Their happiness when they are playing Kiddy Cricket justifies this sponsorship.”
In January 2011, the Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket Programme resumed in Guyana with over 100 primary schools benefiting from programme resources such as Cricketing kits and coaching from certified WICB coaches.
A Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket Festival and Camp are scheduled to be held in Guyana later in the year.