By Marlon Munroe
Women from seven Caribbean nations will contest the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Senior Women’s Challenge 50 limited overs tournament which bowls off today.
The front runners for this year’s tournament are undoubtedly the defending champions Jamaica who will oppose Barbados at the Georgetown Cricket Club Ground.
The Jamaicans are considered a “well greased unit” and one supremely confident of retaining the title.
Today’s other game will be between St. Lucia and Dominica at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) ground.
The local girls will swing into action tomorrow against Trinidad at the Police Sports Club ground Eve Leary.
The visiting teams converged on Guyana soil yesterday while the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) held a meeting to discuss “pertinent issues” and playing conditions with Match Referees, Umpires, captains, coaches and managers. After that meeting, there was a photo opportunity for all the teams on the GCC outfield.
At the conclusion of those proceedings Guyana’s captain Zaheeda Samdally and Manager Maylene Ramdular also signalled the team’s intentions of emerging victorious at the tournament’s conclusion.
Jamaica’s captain and opening batter Herma Nathan-Dawson, reported that her team will be taking it “one game at a time and assess it as we go along; play hard cricket and I think we will come out victorious.”
Nathan-Dawes explained, “We are very confident and most (members) of the team are experienced with two newcomers to the team. “So with the experience and the quality we are very confident and everybody is ready to go”.
Bowling allrounder Samdally said, “The team is in high spirits for the game against Trinidad and Tobago tomorrow and everybody is up to it. Everybody is fit. My check-up yesterday went well and I am in good health.”
Samdally and Nathan-Dawes, along with managers and coaches of the respective teams, echoed that their teams have many all-rounders who underline the strength and balance to produce the winning formula. Guyana and Jamaica however, have experienced some constraints in the weeks prior to the tournament that somewhat hampered their preparations but this will not daunt their spirits according to Guyana coach Michael Franco-Hyles and Jamaica’s Manager Dorothy Hobson.
Hobson said that Jamaica will not be underestimating anybody because this is sport and if one should take a team for granted then he is an “idiot”.
Further, she stated that it can take one game to change the complexion of their championship hunt for the worse if they underestimate any opponent.
Hobson explained, “The training period was shortened because of certain constraints at home but we are here and the girls are in great nick and are raring to go. “From where I sit I have some excellent batters and bowlers; the team is well balanced.”
Hyles had earlier stated, “The time was very short; we had nine days and then we had to break camp because of a few illnesses, mainly minor niggles, but it was decided that the girls go home to rest then come back and regroup.”
Jamaican coach Cleon Smith, like Hyles, stated that he had been focusing on developing the mental fortitude of the players and the fitness of the squad. He informed Stabroek Sport that they have been researching their opponents and have been formulating their plans.