Today is Judgment Day for many
THE die has been cast and the stage is set for today’s matches in the inaugural Kares Engineering and Bushy Park Sawmill-sponsored nationwide 10/10 tapeball tournament, when it climaxes at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, from 09:00hrs.
Three teams namely The Pitbulls, Albion and Invaders will be on show in the male category, following the disqualification of Dyna’s Bravados while on the distaff side, Rose Hall Town Metro, Trophy Stall XI, Mike’s Wellwoman and 4R Lioness are the semi-finalists.
This tournament was the second one to attract over 900 teams, after this year’s Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company-sponsored 10/10 softball tournament which had attracted over 1 000 teams and also climaxed at the Guyana National Stadium.
Based on their performances so far which has been clinical, the Pitbulls are heavily favoured to cart off the $1M first place prize, but in order to do so, they will have to get past an Albion lteam who seem just as hungry as any other team in the competition.
Based on recent results which saw Berbice dominate the gentleman’s game in all categories from Under-15 to senior, along with the old proverb ‘Wise men come from the East’, Albion will start this semifinal fixture as firm favourites over their Georgetown opponents.
Their lineup consists of players who have gone on to represent the West Indies in the other versions of the game – Narsingh Deonarine and Sewnarine Chattergoon, along with West Indies ‘A’ team players in Veerasammy Permaul and Jonathan Foo.
Add Kandasammy Surujnarine, Gudakesh Kanhai-Motie, Chattergoon’s siblings in Ramnarine and Harrinarine Chattergoon to the picture and one would see why the team from the Ancient County will start as favourites.
The Pitbulls have been playing competitive cricket throughout the tournament while remaining a united bunch and to this end, they will rely on the services of Christopher Barnwell, Derwin Christian, Trevor Benn, Paul Wintz and Gajanand Singh to see them to the final.
The winner will meet Invaders who eased into the final without bowling a ball, following the disqualification of Dyna’s Bravados for playing an unregistered player in their quarterfinal win over Cotton Tree Die Hard, who were also found guilty of the same offence.
Two exciting semifinals can be expected on the distaff side, where several national players will be representing their team, with another team from the Ancient County in Rose Hall Town Metro females playing as a unit.
They will be going up against Trophy Stall XI and will be looking to sisters Nermala and Hermala Sewdat, Trishanie Cort, Jacqueline Singh and skipper Erva Giddings who played for the West Indies, to steer them to the final.
Female West Indies wicketkeeper June Ogle-Thomas will spearhead the Trophy Stall XI lineup in this fixture and along with Nikita Toney, Kavita Yadram and Angela Waldron, should combine to steer their side past the Berbicians.
The other female semifinal will bring together Mike’s Wellwoman and 4R Lioness and will see Abena Parker, Onika Wallerson and Victoria Bacchus spearheading the former while Lashauna Toussaint and Chandrani Mahadeo will lead the latter.
In the school’s final, St Rose’s High will come up against a determined J.C. Chandisingh Secondary in the Boys’ category while L’Adventure will look to repel the challenge of IPE Diva’s XI in the Girls’ category.
There has been a slight change in the price structure for patrons wishing to attend the cricket and the concert, with a ticket to the cricket priced at $1 000, while entry to the concert is $3 000.
Patrons wishing to attend the concert after viewing the cricket can do so at an additional cost of just $500, with those tickets sold exclusively during today’s action. VIP tickets which give access to the cricket and the concert will be available at $5 000 each.
Two hundred tickets for the cricket have been given to the Guyana National Blood Transfusion Centre for distribution to donors, while lucky persons won tickets through various television and radio programmes.
Jamaican Grammy award-winning Reggae artiste Shaggy will headline the giga concert which also features performances from Barbados’ Peter Ram alongside Trinidad and Tobago’s Hunter, Rikki Jai and the Melobugz band.