HAVING seen the success of the Digicel Summer Splash Twenty20 tournament last year, the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) yesterday launched this year’s Carib Beer/Pepsi T20 tournament, using the same format. According to the GCB’s Cricket Operations Officer Robin Singh, the aim of the governing body is to take the game to the fans and the communities, as was evident and even a success in last year’s Digicel Summer Splash tournament.
Eleven teams will compete for the first prize of $1M, with Singh saying “The format is unique to the GCB and we believe the players and fans will fully appreciate, the efforts made on their behalf by the GCB to provide the opportunity and excitement through these matches.”
Speaking on behalf of Ansa McAl Limited Darshanie Yusuf, the company’s Public Relations Officer, called on the GCB to organise a wonderful tournament while saying how privileged it was for her company to be associated with same.
“We have been associated with the GCB for a while now, as we are a friend of cricket and we at Ansa McAl love the sport dearly.
“Over the past few years, there have been some patches within the game but we would like to see same being gotten over with, as we are aware of the many lives that are being impacted through the game of cricket,” stated Yusuf.
Demerara Distillers Limited Marketing Assistant Larry Wills echoed the sentiments of Yusuf while stating how pleased his company was to be sponsoring sports in Guyana.
“It is always a pleasure for DDL to sponsor sports in Guyana and this tournament is no different, even though we are doing so with the help of Carib Beer.
“We know lots of people are looking forward to this tournament and I am not referring to the players and officials alone, but also the fans out there and with that in mind, we at DDL wish the GCB, players and officials all the best as we ourselves look forward to an exciting tournament,” said Wills.
Nine of the 11 teams will represent the three counties namely Berbice, Demerara and Essequibo while the other two which will be selected by the senior selection panel of the GCB, will be known as the GCB President’s XI and GCB Young Conquerors.
Singh added, “The three teams from the counties will pay a round-robin match among themselves, while the two development squads will pay a series of practice matches against each other and at the end of the round-robin stage, the counties will send two teams forward to contest the Super 8 stage.
The Super 8 stage will be a straight knockout for teams in what is expected to be highly competitive matches with every player hoping to catch the eye of the national selectors for the upcoming Caribbean T20 tournament.”
The semifinals and final of the tournament will be played at the Albion Community Centre ground on Friday November 25 and Saturday December 3 respectively.
The action gets under way today, with the Anthony Bramble-led Church’s Chicken Corentyne Titans which includes Jonathan Foo, Assad Fudadin, Narsingh Deonarine, Sewnarine Chattergoon and Rajiv Ivan, taking on Mario’s Pizza West Berbice Super Kings.
National fast bowlers Brandon Bess and Keon Joseph, Arthley Bailey, Eon Abel, Karamdat Bissoondyal, Kwesi Mentore, Keron Fraser and Sherwyn McPherson are some of the players who will be turning out for the Super Kings in this fixture, which bowls off at 09:00hrs at the Albion Community Centre ground.
In their second match of the day, Church’s Chicken Corentyne Titans will take on the Eugene La Fleur-led New Amsterdam/Canje Tigers, with the likes of Richard and Kevin Ramdeen, Seon and Shimron Hetmyer, Devon Clements and Joemal La Fleur.
At either the Georgetown or Demerara Cricket Club ground from 13:00h today, the Noble House Young Conquerors and GCB President’s XI will play their first practice match, with Shaquille Williams scheduled to lead the former lineup that includes Robin Bacchus, Kwame Crosse, Jason Sinclair, Shawn Pereira and Andre Stoll.
National all-rounder Esaun Crandon will be at the helm of the GCB President’s XI and will have as support, Rawle Browne, Vishal Singh, Trevon Garraway, Amir Khan, Leon Scott, Travis Blyden, Eon Hooper and Dexter Solomon.