… $3M in prize money up for grabs
POPULAR entertainment organisers Hits and Jams Entertainment added a new flair to this year’s Jam zone summer break festival, the 11th of its kind, when they launched their Hits and Jams Master’s Cup Twenty20 Festival at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Wednesday afternoon.
Minister Dr Frank Anthony, Permanent Secretary Alfred King, Jam Zone Master’s Cup Public Relations Officer (PRO) Sean Devers, Hits and Jams Entertainment’s Rawle Ferguson, popular designer Trevor Rose and members from the competing teams were present at the launching of the two-day festival which will be held on August 12 and 14 at the Guyana National Stadium.
In his brief remarks, Dr Anthony said the Government was pleased to be associated with Jam Zone because of the high quality of Entertainment they provided and added that it was a good initiative to include T20 cricket as they sought another market using sports.
“The excitement of T20 cricket is well known and the names involved in the Master’s Cup should add to the value to this year’s Jam Zone activities and help to increase the number of people coming here for the events as the whole county benefits through sports tourism,” Dr Anthony said.
He challenged Hits and Jams Entertainment not to stop at cricket but to incorporate more sports in their future events.
“You could include other shot sports and maybe have beach volleyball during the segments of events at the Splashmin’s Resort. Our Ministry is working with the Hits and Jams team to ensure a successful cricket tournament and they have our full support,” said Dr Anthony.
Devers informed that some of the biggest names in Regional T20 cricket will collide in what is anticipated to be a pulsating inaugural Jam Zone Master Cup T20 cricket competition.
“A capacity crowd of over 15 000 is expected on both days of action which will see matches commence at 17:00hrs and 21:00hrs respectively while gates will be open from 15:00hrs each day.
The winner of the grand final on Sunday August 14 will take home US$10 000 (G$2 million), while over US15 000 ($3 million) in prize money will be up for grabs,” Devers said.
Devers informed that since Hits and Jams Entertainment always strives to have the best  talent and expertise, Guyana’s top umpire Nigel Duguid has already been identified to stand in the final.
Leading local umpires Colin Alfred, Shannon Crawford, Davteerth Anandjit and Eddie Nicholls have also been shortlisted to officiate in the mega event, which will have players from Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Barbados rubbing shoulders with their Guyanese counterparts.
Ferguson said cricket was included to create a family event and attract even more people to this year’s activities and said that Chris Gayle, who will be representing the Jam Zone Super Stars team, has already sent a warning to the bowlers in the competition.
“We have received great assistance from the Government as we continue to work hard to provide quality entertainment, promote tourism and a positive image of Guyana to the rest of the world,” Ferguson added.   
Defending Guyana T20 champions Universal DVD Club Berbice Titans, Georgetown Pitbulls, New Line Cavaliers and Hits and Jams Super Stars lineup will do battle for the whopping first prize that is up for grabs.
Each team can use up to four guest players and the pugnacious Gayle along with fellow Jamaicans Danza Hyatt and Andre Russell and T&T’s Dwayne Bravo are the overseas players in the Hits and Jams Super Stars side which will be led by former national T20 wicketkeeper Tyrell Tull with Leon Johnson as his deputy.
T&T’s T20 star batsman Kieron Pollard, Jamaican fast bowlers Jerome Taylor and Krishmar Santokie along with T&T’s Navin Stuart are in the Georgetown side which will be led by former West Indies skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan who will have Christopher Barnwell as his deputy.
Like they did last year, Universal DVD Club Berbice Titans will be banking on their home grown talent which includes West Indies spinner Devendra Bishoo and discarded Test players Narsingh Deonarine and Sewnarine Chattergoon along with Regional T20 sensation Jonathon Foo.
The New Line Cavaliers unit, which was once a formidable foe in local T20 cricket, will include former West Indies leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo and the Barbados pair of Fidel Edwards and Dwayne Smith along with T&T players Denesh Ramdin and Lendl Simmons.
Tickets for the mega event cost $1 000 for the first night and $1 500 for the second night and should go on sale by weekend, while the crowd on hand will have some form of entertainment during the intervals of all matches.
Live radio and television coverage should be provided by the National Communications Network. Devers explained that Regional Radio Broadcasters Line and Length and Regional TV Channel Sportsmax have signalled their interest in providing coverage of the matches.