DEFENDING champions, Linden’s Supreme Stars will open their campaign in this year’s Prime Minister’s T20 Softball Cup against Berbice’s Name Brand/Corriverton when the women’s category of this year’s extravaganza bowls off on Thursday at three venues in Georgetown.
The opening fixture, in the Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc (GSCL) organised tournament, which is scheduled to get underway at 9.30 am at the Gandhi Youth Organisation (GYO) ground, is one of three among the six competing teams which will be played simultaneously. Invaders, last year’s Unification Cup champions, oppose 4R Lioness at the Muslim Youth Organisation (MYO) ground while Bacchus X1 and Circuitville Jaguars clash at the Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) ground.
At the end of the first round, the three winners and the best runners-up team, based on net run rate, will contest the two semi-finals for the two places in Sunday’s final, set for the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary which will also host the three men’s finals –All Stars Open, Masters Over-40 and Legends Over-50.
The women will be competing over 15overs, using the Supreme balls, donated by Trophy Stall while the men will use the larger white Trophy Stall balls in their 20-over contests.
Meanwhile, the stage is set for the bowl off the men’s categories on Friday at various venues around Georgetown and East Coast. The draw for these categories also took take place on Sunday at GYO.
Following are the fixtures for the Open All Stars category: Friday at 9:30 am – Regal All Stars vs Bacchus X1 All Stars at Eve Leary 1; Name Brand/Corriverton vs Hyde Park at Eve Leary 2; Tourism Guyana Titans vs Jai Hind All Stars at Eve Leary 3; Speedboat/Ariel All Stars vs Success X1 All Stars at Transport.
At 1:30 pm – Regal All Stars vs Name Brand/Corriverton at Eve Leary 1; Hyde Park All Stars vs Bacchus X1 All Stars at Eve Leary 2; Tourism Guyana Titans vs Speedboat/Ariel All Stars at Transport and Success X1 All Stars vs Jai Hind All Stars at Eve Leary 3.
Saturday at 9:30 pm – Regal All Stars vs Hyde Park at Queen’s College Number 1; Name Brand/Corriverton vs Bacchus X1 at Queen’s College Number 3; Tourism Guyana Titans vs Success X1 at Transport and Speedboat/Ariel vs Jai Hind All Stars at Queen’s College Number 2.
The semi-finals are set for 1:30 pm with the winners of Group A battling the runners-up in Group B at Queen’s College Number 1 while the winners of Group B clash with the runners-up in Group A at Queen’s College Number 2.
Four teams will vie for supremacy in the Masters Over-40 category. Following are the fixtures: Friday at 9:30 am – Ariel/Trophy Stall vs Regal Masters at Ogle; Essequibo Masters vs Avengers Masters at a venue to be named. At 1:30 pm – Ariel/Trophy Stall Masters vs Essequibo Warriors at a venue to be named and Avengers Masters vs Regal Masters at Ogle.
Saturday at 9:30 am – Ariel/Trophy Stall Masters vs Avengers at Ogle and Essequibo Warriors vs Regal Masters at a venue to be named.
The Legends Over-50 category consists of six teams and has been divided into two groups. On Friday at 9:30 am – New York Softball Cricket League (NYSCL) vs Regal Legends at MYO; Jai Hind Legends vs Parika Defenders at GNIC and Corriverton Legends vs Fisherman Legends at YMCA.
At 1:30 pm – NYSCL vs Parika Defenders at GNIC; Jai Hind Legends vs Fisherman Legends at YMCA and Corriverton Legends vs Regal Legends at MYO.
Saturday at 9:30 am – NYSCL Legends vs Fisherman Legends at Eve Leary Number 2; Jai Hind Legends vs Regal Legends at Eve Leary Number 1 and Corriverton Legends vs Parika Defenders at Eve Leary Number 3.
The two semi-finals, scheduled for 1:30 pm feature the top team in Groups opposing the fourth-place team in group and the second place versus the third.
The GSCL Inc organised tournament, which is in its ninth year, has the blessings of the Office of the Prime. (Frederick Halley)