By Calvin Roberts
Rain had the final say in the first round game of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)/ Geddes Grant Jergens senior women Inter County limited overs competition between Demerara and Essequibo at the Police Sports Club ground Eve Leary, yesterday.
A star studded Demerara team that was packed with eight players who had the distinct opportunity of representing Guyana, won the toss and opted to take first strike in overcast conditions but suffered an immediate setback when Wazeeda Samdally was bowled by Althea Newark without scoring off the third ball of the first over.
Skipper Abeena Parker joined forces with Faye Franklin and they posted 18 runs for the second wicket before Parker was needlessly run out as she attempted a cheeky single off Maria Bridgemohan.
The two were going along great as they sought to repair the damage done by the Cinderella County ladies, when Parker pushed a full length delivery all along the pitch and set off for what was to be a comfortable single in the fourth over.
Unfortunately, the ball struck Franklin on her feet and merely trickled to the onside of the wicket where Bridgemohan retrieved and sent her return to the wicket keeper as Parker was stranded in mid pitch.
Shortly after the heavens opened at 1130hrs and after the rain had abated at 1200hrs, the umpires made an inspection but with rain clouds hovering overhead and finally opening at 1215hrs, parts of the outfield as well as the pitch were left under water, which forced a cancellation and a replay today at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) ground, Queenstown from 1100hrs, weather permitting.
The competition which will be used as a yardstick to select a team to represent the country in an upcoming regional competition, was earlier launched in a simple ceremony on the ground with president of the GCB Chetram Singh thanking Geddes Grant Limited for their sponsorship through its Jergens brand products.
“Women’s cricket is far footed and has some way to go in catching up with their male counterparts here in Guyana. We at the GCB welcome Geddes Grant on board with us once again, following the relationship we share with them in the Neal and Massy limited overs competition and I hope that this would kick off women’s’ cricket locally” said Singh.
In a brief statement Suzette Shim expressed her company’s pleasure in creating another relationship with the GCB.
“It is my pleasure as a representative of Geddes Grant (Guyana) Limited to introduce the Jergens range of products as the proud sponsors of this inaugural event and we are pleased to have created another relationship with the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB).” She further continued: “Cricket as we all know was seen as a game for males but with changing times, women have stepped up to the plate taking the game to [a] whole new and exciting level.
“Jergens has become cognizant of this fact and is therefore seizing the opportunity to let women in sports know that they do not have to rid themselves of their femininity in order to participate in any type of sports.
“I would like to urge all women (and men) to try any one of our products, you won’t regret it. With Jergens contributions we hope to one day give these women the opportunity to broaden their scope in women’s cricket.”
