THE recently launched New York Business Group Under-19 One-Day, Two-Innings cricket competition, sponsored by a group of overseas Guyanese businessmen of New York, USA and jointly organised by Albion Community Centre and the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) gets cracking today with first-round matches.The group was first approached by Albion, one of the leading cricket clubs in Berbice and Guyana, who convinced them to assist in having young cricketers being involved in two-innings matches to develop their cricket more than just playing limited-over games all the time.
The businessmen accumulated G$1M among themselves and recently presented the cheque to the Albion club, whose members involved the BCB in organising and running the competition since that club has vast experience in running competitions successfully.
The winning team will receive the first prize of $100 000 and a trophy; the runners-up $50 000 and a trophy.
The Man-of-the-Match, Best Batsman and Best Bowler of the final will be awarded $15 000, $10 000 and $10 000 respectively as well as trophies.
Also receiving trophies will be the cricketers adjudged as Best Bowler, best batsman, best all-rounder and best wicket-keeper in the competition.
The preliminary matches will be of one day’s duration and to ensure that each match has a result, the first innings for both teams in all the matches will be limited to fifty (50 overs)
The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final, with no limitation to the first innings, will be two-day matches with a third day set aside for the quarters and semis to ensure that there will at least be first-innings decisions.
Thirty teams have been registered to play this competition and as such Berbice has been divided up into six (6) geographical zones to ease excessive travelling costs.
Tuesday’s first round fixtures:
Zone A (West Coast Berbice): Achievers vs Weldaad at Lovely Lass and Bush Lot United Sports Club vs Bush Lot United New Generation at Bush Lot
Zone B (West Coast/West Bank Berbice): Cotton Tree Die Hard vs Monedderlust at Cotton Tree and Blairmont Community Centre B vs Hawaiion Arctic at Blairmont;
Blairmont Community Centre A drew a bye.
Zone C (East Bank/New Amsterdam/Canje: Young Warriors vs Tucber Park at Cumberland and Sisters vs East Banat Sisters.
Zone D (Lower Corentyne): Kendall’s Union vs Albion Community Centre at No. 19; Toopoo Rising Star vs Chesney/United Warriors at Toopoo and Rose Hall Town Pepsi A vs Rose Hall Town Pepsi B at Area “H”.
Zone E (Lower/Central Corentyne)
Albion Community Centre B vs Rose Hall Town Metro Females at Albion; Port Mourant vs Big Star at Port Mourant and Whim National vs GUYSUCO Training Centre at Whim.
Zone F (Upper Corentyne):
Bomb Squad vs Scottsburg United at Crabwood Creek and No.72 Cut and Load vs No.72 All Stars at No.72
Skeldon Community Centre drew a bye.