‘Use Guyana’s 20/20 success as motivation’

Aug 11, 2010 Sports

---

GCB President tells National female cricketers

By Sean Devers
South Africa will host the first ever ICC Women’s Cricket Challenge, with South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Netherlands and Ireland – ranked between fifth and tenth in the world – to compete in a series of one-day and Twenty20 games from October 6-16 in Potchefstroom and President of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Chetram Singh wants at least 5 Guyanese to be in that tournament.
The GCB head since 1991 was speaking at Monday night’s farewell dinner for the Shamaine Campbell-led National female cricket team which left Guyana yesterday morning to compete in the senior Regional Women’s cricket 50-over competition in St Vincent from tomorrow.
Singh told the young ladies that they should use the success of Guyana’s 20/20 team which will represent the West Indies in the Champions League in South Africa to motivate them to win Guyana’s first ever female cricket title.
“The West Indies selectors will pick the regional team from this tournament (St Vincent) and you girls have a great opportunity to showcase your talent for yourself and Guyana.
The 20/20 success has lifted Guyana’s cricket and the Guyana Board is confident that you will keep the flag flying high,” Singh said.
The WICB Director informed the team that several Guyanese will be supporting them in St Vincent and that Cecil Chin, who has always played a huge role when Guyana teams traveled to St Vincent in the past, has already called to assure the GCB that the girls will be comfortable and well taken cared off.
Singh reminded that even as Guyana struggled at the regional level in the last few years the teams have earned the reputation as being the most disciplined teams in regional tournaments and urged the girls to maintain that standard both on and off the field.
Anand Sanasie, the GCB Secretary said this was one of the fittest Guyana female teams he has seen adding that he hoped the winning ways cultivated by the 20/20 team is continued.
“You are all talented and I think you are well equipped to win this title. Your manager is also a coach so in reality you have two coaches. We (GCB) will continue to support you and we will be checking up every day and even every session to follow your performance in St Vincent,” Sanasie said.
The team will be managed by Ava Baker who performed duties as coach when Guyana re-entered regional female cricket in 2000 in St Vincent and coached by Michael Hyles.
Chairman of the National selectors Claude Raphael told the ladies that he was very impressed by their performances leading up to the selection of the team and added that he was satisfied that this bunch of players has what it takes to make Guyana proud.
“When you get to St Vincent don’t get carried away with the occasion. Remember what you were taught during your preparation, remain focused and stick to the basics. This is a very good team and I am confident you will do well once you put in the hard work and play as a team,” Raphael stated.
GCB official Ronald Williams said that many people contributed to the team’s preparation with former Guyana pacers Robert ‘Pacer’ Adonis and Reon King playing big roles.
Baker thanked the GCB for their good wishes and promised to make her country proud. “After listening to what you have said tonight I know we are going to make you proud. Although we did not get any pitch practice due to the weather, we are well prepared physically and mentally to bring Guyana glory,” the manager revealed.
Skipper Campbell who turns 18 on October 14 represented the West Indies last year in South Africa and England and played a versatile role as Wicketkeeper, Batter and leg-spinner during this year’s 20/20 World Cup as the West Indies reached the semi-finals in St Lucia.
She feels that her West Indies experience and that of fellow Berbician Tremayne Smartt who was also a member of the regional 20/20 squad, will be of value to the Guyana team which finished 5th in last year’s competition.
“I think we have a better team than last year and despite the rain our preparation is going well,” Campbell, who made her senior Guyana debut in St Lucia two years ago before playing her first youth game for her country last year when Guyana lost to Jamaica in the final, also in St Lucia.
“We have a very experienced team since only two of the girls have not played for Guyana before and I confident that once everyone plays to their best in St Vincent we could win this thing,” Campbell said.
Shainead Emerson and Melanie Henry are the only players in the 14-member squad without national experience and the squad includes three players (Campbell, Smartt and Erva Giddings) who have played for the West Indies Women’s team. Wicketkeeper Tracy was a member of the West Indies Women’s training squad for a camp in Barbados two years ago. Guyana are grouped in Zone ‘B’ with T&T, hosts St Vincent and Grenada while Barbados, Jamaica, Dominica and St Lucia comprise Zone.
Guyana begin their campaign tomorrow against Trinidad and Tobago before opposing Grenada on Friday and host St Vincent on Saturday.
The semi-finals are scheduled for Monday with the Final and 3rd place play-off set for next week Wednesday.
The Guyana Team: Shamaine Campbell (Captain), Abenia Parker (V/Capt.), Tracy Miller, Joan Vansertima, Sabrina Munroe, Onika Wallerson, June Ogle-Thomas, Nikita Toney, Shinead Emerson, Tremayne Smartt, Zaheeda Samdally, Prudence Williams, Erva Giddings, Melanie Henry, Ava Baker (Manager), Michael ‘Franco’ Hyles (Coach)

***************************************************

Demerara Cricket Club summer camp progressing satisfactorily

School’s out and those children whose parents are not so financially endowed will be confined to a long mundane holiday season prone to mischief and unlawful activities.
It is for this reason than former national off spinner Gavin Nedd, in collaboration with the President of the Demerara Cricket Club, Alfred Mentore, has organized a two weeks coaching clinic for young cricketers in the U13, U15 and U17 categories.  The programme commenced last Monday August 9 last and will conclude on Saturday August 22 next.

More than 40 participants enrolled for the sessions and the facilitators have planned indoor and outdoor sessions. However, the inclement weather over the past two days has confined the youngsters to indoor activities and yesterday continued showers have inundated the field at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC). Mr. Nedd decided to switch activities to the Alberttown Sports Ground, Crown and Albert Streets. This facility is layered in concrete and no amount of rain can disrupt activities.
The U13 and U15 groups are accommodated daily between 09:00hrs-12:00hrs while the U17 players commence sessions from 13:00hrs to 15:00hrs daily.
Kaieteur Sport visited the older players in action under the tutelage of Mr. Nedd. They were taught the finer aspects of the sport including how to play the straight drive and the forward defensive stroke among others. They say that catches win matches and after the two hours session of technical work had concluded, the youngsters went through catching drills.
The facilitator explained that the experts have opined that sessions ought not to exceed the two hours time span since the children’s concentration may begin to wane.
He said that the aim of the programme is to help the youngsters to gradually develop into senior players and represent their county. Afterwards they would graduate into the Guyana squad and ultimately into the West Indies team.
He also reminded that the DCC was the home of some of the greatest local cricketers including Lance Gibbs, who had the street adjacent to the club named after him. Other stalwarts from the DCC included Roger Harper, Keith Semple, Travis Dowlin and the late Andrew Lyght among others.  “DCC has produced many stalwarts and we aim to be reinstated into the top echelons of cricket,” said Mr. Nedd.
Meanwhile, the former spin bowler disclosed that plans are in train to engage a team from Berbice in a match to close off sessions. He explained that organizers in the Ancient County are presently running off their youth programme. As such, the proposed fixture with his squad will have to be timed for a break in those sessions. “We hope to lay a firm foundation for these young cricketers,” he said.

---

---