West Indies Women’s cricket begins tomorrow

Aug 15, 2008 Sports

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Guyana open campaign against hosts St Lucia

By Sean Devers
Guyana, without a title in regional Women’s cricket, begin as the underdogs tomorrow when they face off with host St Lucia in the opening game of this year’s West Indies senior Women’s cricket tournament.

The side, led by Demerara all-rounder Zaheeda Samdally, includes eight players with previous experience at this level and four players who played in St Lucia in the regional under-23 level five years ago.

Originally set for Jamaica, the West Indies Cricket Board, hosting a regional Women’s competition for the first time since taking over the running of female cricket in the West Indies, was forced to switch the venue to St Lucia because of the unavailability of flights to get all of the eight competing teams to Jamaica.

The 14-member touring squad, managed by former Guyana female wicket-keeper/batter Maylene Ramdular and coached by the hard working Michael Hyles, was hosted to a farewell reception by the Guyana Cricket Board at the Water Christ Hotel on Tuesday night. President of the GCB Chetram Singh told the girls that despite their underdog tag it was their performance that counted.

“We are not yet a major force in regional Women’s cricket and while most people don’t expect Guyana to win they expect you to give your best performance to tell the rest of the Caribbean that Women’s cricket in Guyana is on the rise,” Singh told the young ladies who were scheduled to depart in two contingents Wednesday and Thursday to arrive in St Lucia via Trinidad.

“We expect a high level of discipline since you are sporting ambassadors of Guyana and even if you don’t win but play to your full potential all of Guyana will be proud of you,” Singh, the GCB top man since 1992, added.

The gathering also included Director of Sports and Member of Parliament Neil Kumar, GCB’s two Vice Presidents Alvin Johnson and Malcolm Peters, along with Chairman of the national selectors Claude Raphael, GCB executive Terry Holder, Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) President Bissoon Singh and former Miss Guyana World Suzette Shim, who represented Neal & Massey, the sponsors of the female inter-county competition.

Peters, who plays an integral role in the GCB’s female cricket programmes, said it was unfortunate that the entire team could not travel together due to flight problems and advised the players to throw their problems behind them and always play to win.

“I have seen you play and you all have ability. Play serious cricket, be good ambassadors and always believe in yourselves. For the period that you will be in St Lucia you should eat, drink, sleep and think cricket,” Peters urged the talented lasses.

Kumar told the girls that it is an honour to represent their country in anything and reminded them that they can bring joy to an entire nation when they do well. “Not everybody gets to represent their country in something and I hope you understand how privileged you all are.

This is a great opportunity for you girls to see which one of you will have her photograph on the wall at the (Guyana National) Stadium along with the males who have made Guyana proud in cricket,” Kumar challenged the ladies.

Ramdular, who played against the Indian Women’s team in 1979 at Bourda, said that the team spirit is very high and praised the work of Coach Hyles who she informed really ‘worked the girls hard’ and taught them several important lessons as they improved their game.

An optimistic Ramdular promised that Guyana will return home on August 24 with their first trophy at this level after not participating in last year’s competition.

The team is a balanced side and for the first time girls from Essequibo have broken into the National Women’s senior team although Kumari Persaud, one of four Essequibians in the squad, has already represented her country at the under-17 level.

Opening batter Wazeeda Bacchus, talented 17-year-old fast bowling all-rounder Marina Bridgemohan and pacer Olivia O’Selmo are the other girls from Essequibo in the team which had their final practice session on Sunday against male under-15 side at the DCC ground.

Samdally, her deputy Abenia Parker, left-arm spinner Joann Van Sertima, Darlene Gale, wicketkeeper Tracy Miller, Tremayne Smartt, off-spinner Devanie Sewnarine and Subrina Munroe have all played at this level before and Samdally said that her team is confident of doing well and looking forward to playing against the other teams, especially St Vincent which includes former Guyana and West Indies women’s player Indomattie Goordial who now resides in that Island.

Samdally, Van Sertima, Miller and Munroe are the players who played in St Lucia before when they were a part of the Guyana under-23 team which was captained by former West Indies player Candace Atkins who now resides in the USA. Goordial was also a member of that 2003 team.

Bacchus, 14-year-old O’Selmo, Bridgemohan Erva Gittens and 15-year-old Shemaine Campbell are the players in the squad who will be making their debuts for Guyana at any level.

Host St Lucia, Guyana, Dominica, St Vincent, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Grenada are the teams competing in the tournament which runs from August 16-23. Schedule of matches in the West Indies Cricket Board’s Women’s Tournament to be played in St Lucia from tomorrow, August 16 to Saturday August 23:

Saturday August 16
Jamaica vs St Vincent and Grenadines at Gros Islet
Barbados vs Grenada at Dennery
Trinidad and Tobago vs Dominica at Monchy
St Lucia vs Guyana at Beauchamp

Sunday August 17
Grenada vs Jamaica at Monchy
St Vincent and Grenadines vs Barbados at Beauchamp
St Lucia vs Dominica at Gros Islet
Trinidad and Tobago vs Guyana at Dennery

Monday August 18
Jamaica vs Barbados at Beausejour
Grenada vs St Vincent and Grenadines at Monchy
St Lucia vs Trinidad and Tobago at Mindoo Phillip Park
Dominica vs Guyana at Gros Islet
Tuesday August 19 (Rest Day)

Wednesday August 20
Trinidad and Tobago vs Jamaica at Gros Islet
Dominica vs Barbados at Mindoo Phillip Park
St Lucia vs Grenada at Monchy
Guyana vs St Vincent and the Grenadines at Dennery

Thursday August 21
Trinidad and Tobago vs Barbados at Mindoo Phillip Park
Dominica vs Grenada at Dennery
St Lucia vs St Vincent and the Grenadines at Monchy
Guyana vs Jamaica at Beausejour

Friday August 22
Trinidad and Tobago vs Grenada at Dennery
Dominica vs St Vincent and the Grenadines at Mindoo Phillip Park
St Lucia vs Jamaica at Gros Islet
Guyana vs Barbados at Beauchamp

Saturday August 23
Dominica vs Jamaica at Dennery
St Lucia vs Barbados at Beausejour
Guyana vs Grenada at Monchy
Trinidad and Tobago vs St Vincent and the Grenadines at Mindoo Phillip Park

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