By Elroy Stephney

THE Guyana Cricket Board/Ministry of Education-sponsored National Secondary Schools Cricket League (NSSCL) will bowl off shortly on the Essequibo Coast.

According to the Secretary of the Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB) Auto Christiani, ‘the Board is awaiting a timely response seeking permission from the Department of Education to commence the competition. He further stated that an ‘email was already sent to the Department and he is hopeful that a positive response will be forthcoming’.
Meanwhile the participating schools will be Charity, 8th of May, Anna Regina, Cotton Field, Johanna Cecilia, Aurora and Wakapoa Secondary.

Last year’s Zone winners were Anna Regina Secondary School who will be seeking to successfully defend their honours and even climb a step further at capturing the national title.
Their chances will be led by national Under-15 players Sheldon Charles and Lance Roberts, both of whom have been in fine form during the local club competition.

When the competition commences, matches are scheduled for the Imam Bacchus ground in Affiance, Walton Hall and the Anna Regina Community Centre ground.
Significantly the tournament has sought to identify the hidden talent of countless promising players emerging from the county thus providing the ECB to further expose them to formal coaching and other related programmes.

The successful players will also form the core of the inter-county teams in a further bid for national selection.
The ECB have recently tasted success at the senior level by winning the GCB 3-Day Franchise League tournament which the Board is hoping will inspire teams from the youth level.

Last year Boomesh Ramdahin from Anna Regina Secondary registered the lone century for the Essequibo Zone when he stroked an unbeaten hundred against Johanna Cecilia Secondary School.