$3Million up for grabs!

Jul 28, 2011 Sports

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Jam Zone Master’s Cup t20 cricket officially launched

The 11th annual Jam Zone Summer Break organised by Hits and Jams Entertainment will include cricket for the first time this year and the star-studded Master’s Cup t20 competition set for the Guyana National Stadium on August 12 & 14 was officially launched at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports yesterday.
Sports Minister Dr Frank Anthony, Jam Zone Master’s Cup Public Relation Officer, International Cricket Broadcaster and former Guyana cricketer Sean Devers, Hits and Jams Entertainment’s Rawle Ferguson, Trevor Rose representing the Georgetown Pitbulls sponsors Gizmos and Gadgets, Permanent Secretary in Sports Ministry Alfred King and members from the competing teams were present at yesterday’s launching.
Minister Anthony said Government was pleased to be associated with Jam Zone because of the high quality of Entertainment they provided and added that it was a good initiative to include t20 cricket as they sought another market using sports. “The excitement of t20 cricket is well known and with the names involved the Master’s Cup should add to the value of this year’s Jam Zone activities and help to increase the number of people coming here for the events as the whole county benefits through sports tourism,” Dr Anthony said.
The Minister is also responsible for Culture, challenged Hits and Jams Entertainment not to stop at cricket but to incorporate more sports in their in future events.
“You could include other shot sports and maybe have Beach Volleyball during the segments of events at Splashmin’s. Our Ministry is working with the Hits and Jams team to ensure a successful cricket tournament and they have our full support,” the Minister said.
Devers informed that some of the biggest names in Regional t20 cricket will collide in what is anticipated to be a pulsating Jam Zone Master Cup t20 cricket competition.
”A capacity crowd of over 15,000 is expected as matches commence at 17:00hrs and 21:00hrs on both days with the winner of the grand finale on the Sunday night taking home US$10,000 (G$2 Million) while over US15,000 ($3 million) in prize money will be up for grabs,” Devers said. Devers informed that since Hits and Jams Entertainment always strive to have the best talent and expertise, Guyana’s top Umpire Nigel Duguid has already been indentified to stand in the final. Leading local Umpires Colin Alfred, Shannon Crawford, Davteerth Anandjit and Eddy Nicholas have also been short listed to officiate in the mega event.
Leading West Indies players from Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Jamaica will match skills in the Caribbean’s biggest t20 competition since the Caribbean t20 tournament last January.
The Jam Zone Summer Break activities include dancehall artists 35-year-old Vybes Kartel and 29 year-old Mavado sharing the same stage on the same night outside Jamaica for the first time. International acclaimed Singer 26-year-old American Trey Songz and the sizzling Miss Jam Zone Beach Pageant are also a part of the event. The first ever Master’s Cup cricket series will see four teams battling for top honours. Ferguson said cricket was included to create a family event and attract even more people to this year’s activities and said that Chris Gayle, who will be representing the Jam Zone team has already sent a warning to the bowlers in the competition.
“We have received great assistance from the Government as we continue to work hard to provide quality entertainment, promote tourism and a positive image of Guyana to the rest of the world,” Ferguson added.
Defending Guyana t20 champions Universal DVD Berbice, Georgetown Pitbulls, New Line Cavaliers and the Hits and Jams Super Stars, spearheaded by t20 Super Star Chris Gayle, should provide explosive action for the fans while the Party stand with the dancing girls should be jamming all night providing additional off the field entertainment.
Each team can use up to four guest players and the pugnacious Gayle along with fellow Jamaicans Danza Hyatt, Andre Russell and Trinidadian Dwayne Bravo are the overseas players in the Hits and Jams Super Stars side which will be captained by former national t20 keeper Tyrell Tull with West Indies ODI player Leon Johnson as his Vice-Captain.
Trinidadian Keiron Pollard, Jamaica’s pacers Jerome Taylor and Krishmar Santokie along with T&T’s Navin Stuart are in the Georgetown side which will be led by former West Indies Skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan. The City side also include West Indies player Chris Barnwell.
Like they did last year, Berbice will be banking on their home grown talent and have again opted not to use an overseas International as Guyana’s latest Test player Davendra Bishoo and Test players Narsingh Deonarine and Sewnarine Chattergoon along with regional t20 sensation Jonathon Foo give them dangerous firepower.
The Cavaliers side will include former West Indies leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo and the Bajan pair of Fidel Edwards and Dwayne Smith is in their line-up along with T&T players Denesh Ramdin and Lendl Simmons.
Tickets for the mega event cost $1,000 for the first night and $1,500 for the final night and should go on sale by weekend.
Entertainment is also being planned for the interval between the first match and the final on August 14, while some of the overseas contingent involved in other Jam Zone’s events this year could also be present at the Stadium during the matches.
Matches will start at 17:00hrs and 21:00hrs and the gates will be opened at 15:00hrs each day.
The National Communication Network should provide live Radio and TV coverage, while Devers explained that Regional Radio Broadcaster Line & Length and Regional TV Channel Sports Max have signaled their interest in providing coverage of the matches for fans living in the Caribbean. Live web streaming of the matches is also planned by Hits and Jams Entertainment.
The organizers have provided $1.5 million to the GCB to help with cricket development in Guyana, while the Berbice Cricket Board and the Georgetown Cricket Association have been allocated funds to help to prepare the teams representing those entities for the competition.
The competition has been sanctioned by the West Indies Cricket Board through the Guyana Cricket Board and is supported by the Guyana Government.

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