By Neil Barry
The eagerly anticipated New Building Society (NBS) limited overs competition will finally bowl off this weekend with matches on Saturday and Sunday around Georgetown, weather permitting.
Local cricket pundits will be heartened by the return of cricket and the availability of grounds for the many matches to be played.
In Zone A on Saturday GNIC, will kick start their tournament after having won the Noble House Seafoods competition earlier this year against Third Class at their Woolford Avenue ground.
Everest Cricket Club will take on the Vikings cricket team at YMCA on Thomas Lands while the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) will play Gandhi Youth Organisation (GYO) at Bourda.
The Guyana Defence Force has drawn the bye.
In Zone B on Saturday, the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) faces Transport at GYO while Malteenoes Sports Club tackles the University of Guyana at Muslim Youth Organisation (MYO) ground.
MYO will play Police Sports Club at Eve Leary while Ace Warriors has drawn the bye.
On Sunday in zone A, Third Class will battle GCC at YMCA, Vikings will play GYO at GYO and GNIC will host GDF.
Everest Cricket Club drew the bye.
Zone B action continues on Sunday with Malteenoes visiting MYO, Police squaring off against Ace Warriors at home and Transport Sports Club visiting the University of Guyana.
DCC drew the other bye in this round.
At the launching of the competition, teams were briefed about the professionalism with which the tournament is expected to be conducted, and were informed that strict sanctions will be enforced throughout the tournament.
The Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) stressed the importance of the submission of match report forms post-matches, as negligence of this would result in the captain of the game for which the match report form is not submitted being banned from the next two matches in the competition. Any team that gives another a walk over will be required to pay a fine of $15,000 to enter the next GCA Second Division competition that it wishes to be a part of.
There are also strict penalties for teams arriving late, and matches will not commence unless at least seven players are present for a team at the toss of the coin.
