Letter to the Sports Editor …Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) earned the GCB Club of the Year Award

Dec 21, 2011 Sports

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Dear Editor,
With reference to the letter in last Thursday’s edition of the Stabroek News titled ‘There was a strange selection of awardees at the Guyana Cricket Board Awards Ceremony”, I write to set certain records straight and place in the public purview our response to what the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) considers to be an unwarranted and misguided commentary regarding the achievements of the club over the past year.
From the outset, let me reiterate the fact that the DCC is a long standing and prestigious organisation which celebrates a great and memorable milestone of 100 years commencing January 2012.  Like any other cricket club, the DCC has given its all to the development of cricket in Guyana and the West Indies.
We have produced great legends to the game of cricket over the years and continue to produce talented individuals whether as manager, coach, administrator or player of the beautiful game of cricketer. As such, there is no doubt that the DCC is one of the best clubs in the region. However, like The Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC), DCC has nothing to prove but only to provide information about the Club’s performance during the year to the public. Accordingly, the performance of the club is as follows:
1. The DCC Under-13 team played unbeaten winning in the process Banks Pee-Wee under-13 and DeSinco under-13 tournaments. In addition, like the under-13 team, the DCC Under-15 “A” team has played unbeaten winning the Under 15 Brain Street Tournament, whilst the DCC “B” Team placed fourth in the same competition. The under -15 DCC players representing Demerara at inter county level are Micheal Shalim, Quacy Lewis, Cleon Mc Ewan and Khemraj Rupee, whilst Tevin Imlac and Travis Persaud were on standby. Shalim and Rupee went on to play for Guyana.
2. DCC had four cricketers representing Demerara at the under-17 inter county level. Namely, Dexter George, Khemal Savory, David Mohamed and Micheal Shalim. Savory and George gained places on the Guyana under-17 team that will be competing in Trinidad & Tobago in 2012 whilst Micheal Shalim was on standby. Jahron Byron was the lone DCC under-19 player in the Georgetown and Demerara teams.
3. DCC First division team won the Digicel 20/20 for 2010-2011 and the Carib Beer & Friends of Cricket “Heroes Cup” 2 day competition.  The First Division team has also reached the finals of the Queensway Cup final 50 over’s where they were beaten by GCC. DCC to date is the leading team in the Carib Beer Friends of Cricket two day First Division 2011-2012 competition.
4. DCC lost the Noble House Seafood Second Division semi finals for 2010-2011 and are currently leading in the Noble House Seafood two day Second Division 2011-2012 competition. At the senior level, DCC players Travis Dowlin, Christopher Barnwell, Derwin Christian, Paul Wintz, Gajanand Singh, Trevon Griffith, Totaram Bishun, Jamal Hinckson and Andrew Lyght Jr represented Demerara and Guyana in various competitions, whilst Totaram Bishun was often a standby for the Guyana senior team. A total of nine DCC players took part in the GCB Big Smash 20/20 Tournament. The players are Christopher Barnwell, Derwin Christian, Trevon Griffith, Totaram Bishun, and Denver Greaves, as well as Paul Wintz, Andrew Lyght Jr., Cohen Ismond and Omesh Dhanram who all played for West Demerara/ Essequibo.
5. The DCC cricketers that played or were selected to represent Guyana at the junior and senior levels are Michael Shalim, Khemraj Rupee, Dexter George, Khemal Savory, Travis Dowlin, Christopher Barnwell, Derwin Christian, Paul Wintz, Gajanand Singh, Trevon Griffith and Andrew Lyght Jr.  Totaram Bishun and Micheal Shalim were on standby for Guyana.
Editor, DCC ground has been the most used cricket venue in Georgetown/Demerara. Hosting practices sessions for touring international teams, and cricket matches for the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) and the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA). In addition to hosting inter county matches at the under-15, under-17, under -19 and senior inter county levels.
It must be mentioned that the DCC has a known commitment to accommodating requests, even at short notice, since it is our firm belief that our Country and West Indies interests are similar and even greater interest to those of our Club.   The DCC has made the club available beyond the call of duty. GCB and the GCA can attest to the fact that unavailability of other clubs has affected the development of cricketer in Demerara. DCC’s Coach Garvin Nedd hosts daily net sessions that often times includes the members of GCC and Malteenoes Cricket Club amongst others.
However, if the weather was much kinder to GCA, the DCC would have hosted many more matches and would have had the opportunity to win more competitions or tournaments. In a nut shell DCC have rendered and committed to more than 360 degrees to cricket related services including softball cricket for 80 percent of the year baring weather.
DCC hosted the WICB/Digicel Series practice sessions and West Indies two-day matches from May 4 to May 14, Women Inter County Cricket matches in July, four 3-day Regional Under-19 matches, 4 Regional 50 Overs matches, 2 2-day practice matches for women Under-19, 16 GCA matches, 9 practice sessions for under-17 and senior Inter County teams, 4 days of practise sessions for Guyana senior team, 11 days of practice sessions for regional under -19 and senior teams, 3 under-17 matches, 2 Senior Inter County games and 2 Senior Regional matches 50 over matches ended for the period of November and the list goes on.
A product of DCC is Mark Harper who coached the Guyana senior team in the Regional Four day and Super 50 Tournament and against the touring Pakistan and Trinidad & Tobago teams and Garvin Nedd, who was appointed coach of the national under-17 team. In addition, to our coaches we also produced two 20/20 West Indies players Christopher Barnwell and Derwin Christian.
Barnwell went on to represent in the tour to Dubai and West Indies A Team in the touring series against Bangladesh. Barnwell was also the captain of the Georgetown Pitbulls and is now the appointed Captain of the Guyana T20 Senior team, whilst Michael Shalim was the Demerara under-17 captain. Also, Derwin Christian was named regional Super 50 wicketkeeper.
Editor, the point is, the DCC has a rich pedigree and our current achievement is no one off feat, but is rooted in the history and rich legacy for which our club is known and respected.
As part of our effort to develop cricket, DCC held its annual Summer Camp in collaboration with United Kingdom Aid programme being managed by Commonwealth Games Canada “Bowling Out AIDs” in August 2011 at which 75 under-17 players, including two females attended and who were all awarded certificates at an impressive ceremony held at the DCC at the conclusion of the Camp. In addition, DCC has been holding its regular executive meetings, as well as meetings for our plan centenary (1912-2012).
Editor, Unlike RHTY&SC we chose not to make mention of the various friendly matches and privately organized competition that we participated in since we see those as irrelevant to us qualifying for a GCB award. We are comfortable that our record speaks for itself and clearly shows that DCC is one of the leading cricket clubs in Georgetown, Guyana and by extension the Region and is deserving of the award it was bestowed.
DCC would like to sincerely thank all associations and boards for running off various competitions and tournaments which allowed DCC to continue to develop more West Indies players and play an integral part of the development of Guyana and West Indies cricket.
We trust that you provide the same prominence to this correspondence that you have given to those that precipitated this response.
K. Amsterdam
For Public Relations Officer, Demerara Cricket Club

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