WITH the aim to have youths engaged in some meaningful activity during the Easter vacation, the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) has launched its Easter Youth Cricket Festival with emphasis on seam bowling.
The Cricket Festival will comprise the Toucan Distributors Under-15 100 overs, and the GCA/New York Tri State Youth Cricket Development Inc. Under-19 50-overs cricket competitions.
At a simple ceremony held yesterday in the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) pavilion, where GCA president Roger Harper pointed out that the tournaments will not only allow the youths to showcase their talent, but also at the same time give them the opportunity to develop their skills.
“I think sports provides an opportunity to teach teamwork, teach discipline and hopefully they will understand through sports as well that the only place that success comes before work is in the dictionary,” Harper, the former West Indies off-spinner stated.
Harper is of the view that sports plays a critical role, and tournaments of this nature augur well for the future of Guyana’s cricket.
The former West Indies player during his brief remarks also thanked Toucan Distributors for backing them for the second year in succession.
GCA Chairman of Selectors, Mark Harper, is of the opinion that the tournaments will feature a lot of our budding cricketers, since young cricketers in the City look forward to that time of the year.
The Under-15 tournament is expected to attract over130 youngsters from nine teams, inclusive of Queen’s Collage. Teams batting first will be allocated a maximum of 55 overs while the second team will have a 45-over stipulation. However, should the first team be bowled out before the allotted 55th over, the difference would be added to the second team’s overs. The competition is set to bowl off on April 24.
Lenny Shuffler, Toucan’s representative, said that they are happy to be a part of the development of the game at the grassroots level.
Meanwhile, GCA/New York Tri State Youth Cricket Development Inc. Under-19 competition is set to commence on April 16, with 12 teams participating.
It was revealed during yesterday’s launching that at least 40% of the overs or 20 overs in a full 50-over game in both competitions must be bowled by fast bowlers. Failing to adhere to the playing conditions, teams will be penalised 10 runs to every over missed by a fast bowler.
