…Trial match set for tomorrow and Saturday at Malteenoes

WITH female club cricket in Guyana non-existent, the only cricket available for female teams is senior and Under-19 Inter-Country, which is played over four days.
Precision Sports wants to work with the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) to assist in the resurrection and development of Guyana’s female cricket.
According to the brainchild of the programme, Trinidadian Nidia Andrews, Precision Sports training sessions were conducted in Demerara and Essequibo.
Sessions were planned for Berbice but was called off due to the adverse weather and unavailability of a ground.
The 29-year-old who played for Demerara in Guyana’s Inter- County tournament is assisted by Jamella Chesney, who is responsible for the Administrative aspects.
Speaking on Tuesday night’s ‘Sean Devers Sports Watch’, the ladies informed that the training sessions have been completed and T20 trial matches will be held tomorrow and Saturday at the Malteenoes ground from noon each day.

“These matches are being used to select the team to oppose a Trinidad and Tobago team, which arrives here on August 7, while there will be a launch the next day.
The tournament commences on Saturday, August 9.

The other matches will be on Sunday, August 10th, Tuesday 12th, Thursday 14th and Saturday 16th. All matches start at 14:00 hours sharp
A male exhibition match between One Movement Cricket Club and Transport Sports Club will be on Saturday 16th at 11:00 hours with the Women’s game starting immediately after. Senior Player, Kaysia Schultz and U19 player Trisha Hardat will represent Hibiscus Women’s Cricket Club from Trinidad and Tobago.

According to the Ladies, Precision Sports, they have had a few meetings with the GCB regarding a ground for the tournament, the possibility of appointing someone to run female cricket, the GCB assisting with funding for the programme, which will be ongoing and benefit the board by widening the pool of females and lifting the standard of the female inter-county tournaments.
“In concept, the Board has given us approval, but it’s only verbal. We have a sponsor waiting on written approval so they can give us a written approval for sponsorship,”
informed Miss Chesney.

“The Board promised to appoint someone in April to run female cricket. They then changed the date to June…it’s now July. The first time we presented our proposal to the GCB, the CEO said the Board never thought of that.

I found that strange since I believe that is the job of the Board to implement such programmes,” continued Miss Andrews.
In the 1990s, Dr Emily Dodson headed the Guyana Women’s Cricket Association, but that position was disbanded.

It is understood that the CWI is planning to stage a regional U-16 female tournament, and the Regional boards are mandated to prepare their girls for the proposed tournament.
The pair is funding this programme by encouraging sponsors to come on board and has promised to continue their programme, so that when the GCB host their Inter-County tournaments, more girls will be ready.