Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) and Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) will square off in the opening match of the Tropical Mist Pee Wee Cricket tournament organized by the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) which bowls off today at Thirst Park ground.
At the official launch yesterday at Banks DIH Conference Room, GCA President Roger Harper, the former Guyana and West Indies off-spinner, said the objective of the tournament was to get youths involved and to start them at a young age with the aim up filtering their talent to the upper levels of the game.
He said Banks DIH’s involvement was a huge plus to the GCA especially the use of the Thirst Park ground.
“As you know there is heavy competition for venues in Georgetown so securing Thirst Park was a huge plus for us,” he added.
Five teams will compete in the tournament sponsored by the local beverage giants under the Tropical Mist brand that will run for 10 Saturdays, they are DCC, GCC, Malteenoes, Everest Cricket Club and a team based at Thirst Park and coach ed by Claude St John.
According to Competitions Chairman of the GCA Shawn Massiah, the matches will be 20-overs-a-side affairs and all the players will be able to participate fully in the tournament.
Massiah said only one match will be played today because of a prior commitment at the venue but two matches will be played for the remainder of the tournament.
Banks DIH Communications Manager Troy Peters said that his company was pleased to be associated with the tournament.
“We are partnering with the Georgetown Cricket Association and we are confident that the returns will be reflected a few years from now when a some of the players that will be on show over the next two months make it on the international stage,” Peters remarked,
He said when Harper and approached Banks DIH there was no hesitation in sponsoring the event because the company knows the value of youth development.
Peters also encouraged parents to come out and support their children as is customary at other Pee Wee tournaments around the world.
Players must be under 13 years on December 31, 2010 to be eligible to compete.
According to the tournament rules the batting side will be divided into pairs. Only five pairs will bat while no bowler will bowl more than two overs.
Harper disclosed that there would be prizes for teams as well as individual players.
Also, present at yesterday’s launch and press briefing were former Guyana middle order batsman Mark Harper, Tropical Mist Brand Manager Errol Nelson, Banks DIH Outdoor Manager Mortimer Stewart and assistant Treasurer of the GCA Dennis Wilson.
