Cavaliers Sports Club moving forward …Wants to play in GT competitions

Sep 23, 2011 Sports

---

 

 

By Sean Devers
The standard of the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) first division cricket tournaments is the highest among any association in Guyana and the Cavaliers Sports Club is hoping to be a part of it as soon as possible.
Formerly the New Line Cavaliers Cricket Club of West Demerara, the club from September 16 this year, changed its name to the Cavaliers Sports club and relocated to a Georgetown address in an effort to provide better opportunities for its players.
“We have a ground in Canal and a lot of money was spent on that facility which also can accommodate night cricket. But due to the lack of high-level competitive cricket in West Demerara and the caliber of our players we felt our team would be better served playing in the GCA competitions which is better organised and of a higher standard than in West Demerara,” the team’s Manager Varendra Shiwratan informed.
Several players with national senior team experience including Andre Percival, Gajanand Singh, Paul Wintz, Shemroy Barrington and Andrew Lyght Junior represent the now city-based club and Shiwratan says that with the amount of money being pumped into the team, playing just Twenty20 festival matches was counter-productive to the club.
“We have some national players while many other senior local players are interested in coming to represent us because we feel that for cricketers to be well prepared and motivated to play hard they should be compensated and able to be comfortable to give of their best,” Shiwratan said
“But what we found was that although players would be paid to play, only the big name players had a chance of furthering their careers since we were not playing in competitions which made players, especially the lesser known but talented ones, eligible for Demerara or Guyana selection,” He added.
Cavaliers played in the last Demerara Cricket Board three-day competition and reached the final but since the off-the field problems with the Demerara Board no Demerara Board first division cricket has been played.
The club has written to both the West Demerara Cricket Association and the Demerara Cricket Board informing them that they are no longer a West Demerara club and of their name change.
One of the requirements for being accepted in the GCA first division competition is having a ground, even if, as in the case of GYO and GNIC, no first division matches are played there.
With a new executive and Georgetown address, Cavaliers SC has written to the GCA informing them of their desire to be a part of their competitions and Roger Harper, the GCA President has promised to address the request at the next GCA meeting this month.
“We were told by the GCA that there are two venues that were available for practice and matches but which had to be looked after. We are willing to take responsibility for one of those grounds and pay for a grounds man and the cutting of the field if we can use that as our home base,” the Manager explained.
“Since we are as strong as any of the teams in Georgetown and capable of making another ground available for GCA cricket we believe that having us as a part of the GCA first division competition will be of benefit to our team, especially our younger players and also GCA cricket as a whole. We have a professional executive body and our aim is moving our cricket forward and contributing to the development of Georgetown, Demerara and Guyana’s cricket,” Shiwratan revealed.
“We pledge to abide by the rules and regulations governing your competitions and to be sportsmanlike and disciplined both on and off the field” Cavaliers SC wrote in their letter to the GCA requesting approval to play as a city team.
While the team will practice at their new ‘home ground’ in Georgetown it was disclosed that their first division size West Demerara ground will still be used to play fund-raising matches and will be made available to the GCA for night games to help raise funds for the association.
If the GCA wants to play some of their first division games involving Cavaliers SC
at the Canal, West Demerara venue, the cost of the opposition’s travel to the ground will be paid by Cavaliers. Phillip Jaiserrisingh is the club’s President with the Treasurer being Seenarine Mathura and the Secretary Lester Kellman. Zaheer Khan is the Assistant Secretary/Treasurer.
A five-man selection and a four-member Disciplinary Committee have also been set up to ensure professionalism is maintained and what could be the newest addition to the GCA family is hoping that they are accepted as they begin the journey towards being Guyana’ best run and most successful first division cricket club at a time when the standard of cricket has dipped both on and off the field.

---

---