– GCC President ‘extremely disappointed’ that trophy not going to Bourda
YESTERDAY, when the Guyana Chronicle paid a visit to the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC), home of the historic Bourda Cricket Ground, preparations as a practice venue for the ICC T20 World Cup were in full swing.
The sightscreens and the triple-decker Rohan Kanhai stands were repainted; the newly resurfaced pitch was being rolled; the outfield was being cut and the T20 World Cup banners were hung around the perimeter of the ground and on the stands.
President of the GCC Jonathan Yearwood said that the rain has affected the cutting of the ground and to some extent the pitch preparation.
“Today [yesterday] we have some sunshine and [we are] cutting the grass on the outfield. We are heading in the right direction in terms of getting everything ready by the time the teams start to come into Guyana, so [I] am satisfied at where we are,” informed Yearwood.
He said the GCC is a private venue and the biggest challenge is getting adequate funding to maintain the club, which hosts local cricket and has a hockey section.
“The Guyana Government is funding most of the work being done here for the World Cup, since the ICC has mandated what has to be done for Guyana to host matches. We [GCC] are doing our part. They have provided 10 additional ground-staff members to complement the two we have on staff.
“Since the Providence Stadium was constructed, our membership has dwindled, since international and even first-class cricket is no longer being played here,” continued Yearwood.
Yearwood’s biggest disappointment is not having the World Cup Trophy come to Bourda, which along with Everest and the police ground, Eve Leary, are the practice venues in Guyana.
“I am extremely disappointed that [the] World Cup Trophy is not going to be brought to Bourda, which has a rich cricketing history and has produced so many outstanding players for the West Indies,” he said.
According to the GCC president, “GCC is the home of Hooper, Chanderpaul and Sarwan who are among the last high-quality batsmen in West Indies cricket. The club members are very disappointed that the World Cup Trophy is not coming here.
I heard it’s being taken to Kaieteur Falls, St George’s Cathedral and to the First Lady’s residence. I don’t know who is responsible for where the trophy goes in Guyana, but I would have thought it would have been taken to Albion so that the Berbicians can see it and also to Essequibo for those who live there to see it,” lamented Yearwood.
Guyana will host six matches from June 2-27 when the semi-finals will be played. West Indies play PNG on June 2 and Uganda on June 8.
Meanwhile, Bourda, which was opened in 1884, has hosted 30 Test matches, including the West Indies’ first Test victory when they beat England by 289 runs in the third Test in 1930.
In this game the legendary George Headley became the first West Indian the score centuries in both innings of a Test match.
One of only two Test venues in South America (both in Guyana), Bourda is the only ground in the world where Test cricket was played where the venue is on the equator.
Like the ARG in Antigua, when the Providence Stadium was constructed for the 2007 World Cup, all international matches were moved from the Georgetown-based venue to the East Bank of Demerara.
This left the iconic Bourda, located in the heart of the city, with not even first-class matches.
Gradually, without much funding, the Stands at Bourda, named after Kenny Wishart, Clive Lloyd, Lance Gibbs and the Schoolboys Stand all went into disrepair and were dismantled, leaving only the concrete Rohan Kanhai stand still standing.
