TORONTO, Canada — With only a few positions up for grabs, based on its constitution, the entire Guyanese-based executive body, saved and except the ground coordinators, were returned en bloc when the Scarborough Cricket Association (SCA) held its annual general meeting last Sunday at the Agincourt Community Centre here.According to the SCA constitution, the posts of president, secretary and treasurer are contested on a biannual basis while the others are done annually. This meant that president Deo Samaroo, secretary Eon Gunraj and treasurer Vish Jadunauth were secured in their positions for at least another year.Retaining their posts unopposed were vice-president Besham Singh, assistant secretary/web master Mohammed Ahmed, registrar/statistician Shiv Persaud and Public Relations Officer Richard Ramlall. Two new ground coordinators were elected and they are Fareed Mohamed and Mathew Francis.
Describing the 2014 season as a good one, SCA president Samaroo disclosed that his association is set to introduce an Under-13 and Under-16 league along with a women’s division in the 2015 season and the response for all three has been quite heartening.
There are however room for other interested teams. Samaroo praised the efforts of coordinator George Maharaj who has been working tirelessly to get the women’s section going.
While admitting the 50-over tournament was quite competitive, the SCA president pointed out that he was extremely disappointed with the outcome of the final which he termed the showcase of the season. The game, featuring eventual winners Hawaiian Arctic Cricket Club (HACC) and East/West was aborted after the latter refused to continue, protesting an umpiring decision.
Samaroo was also peeved that the 20-over tournament failed to get off the ground since several teams failed to turn up for matches. In view of this, the SCA intends to ask teams to make a deposit of $100 (Can) for entry into this year’s tournament and this will not be refundable if they fail to appear.
Boasting that the SCA was the first to introduce T20 cricket, Samaroo gave the assurance that the competition will be played the upcoming season regardless of the number of entrants.
Samaroo had stern words for those players who failed to turn up for their prizes at the annual presentation ceremony and at Sunday’s AGM, advising them they could “kiss the trophies goodbye.”
Vice-president Singh, in his report, was also critical of players who showed blatant disregard for umpiring decisions and called on clubs to remind their players that “cricket is a gentleman’s game and should be considered as such,”
Singh is of the view that the association should revisit the playing rules for the 2015 season, thereby inserting stiffer penalties for infractions.
Both the president and treasurer Vish Jadunauth also lamented on the failure of teams not turning up for pre-arranged practice sessions after the association had committed funds for the availability of grounds. Teams who default in the new year could be fined the fees paid to the authorities.
A minute’s silence was observed for the late Budh-Dave Tewari Anandjit, the former long-standing stalwart executive and member who passed away on July 22 last year at the age of 53.

(By Frederick Halley)