By Neil Barry Jr.,
The second edition of the highly lucrative and much anticipated Queensway limited overs Open knockout competition for teams in Georgetown was launched at the pavilion of the defending champions, the Georgetown Cricket Club yesterday.
The well-attended event was graced with the presence of Clive Lloyd, who was described by Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) president Roger Harper as “a legend of world cricket.”
This year’s competition promises to be as rewarding as the last competition which saw GCC triumphing over the Demerara Cricket Club in a final where two centuries were scored.
Speakers at yesterday’s opening ceremony, namely CA Vice President Neil Barry, Harper and Mohamed Qualander of Queensway, as well as Lloyd, each stressed on the importance of playing the game in the right spirit with each person making specific reference to the debacle which recently occurred in the final of the NBS competition when DCC left the field and subsequently the venue in protest against a decision by one of the umpires.
Emphasis was also placed on the now common fast bowler rule, which stipulates that the seamers must bowl at least 40% of the overs in an innings. The GCA also made it clear that umpires will be harsh and the GCA would be severe on matters of indiscipline.
Qualander said he was delighted to have Lloyd at the launching and expressed his enthusiasm over sponsoring cricket in Georgetown saying that this was the third tournament that Queensway has been a part of.
Their initial involvement was through a second division competition under the banner ‘Haier Cup’. However, last year they adopted a knockout format which included all registered clubs in Georgetown and was played with white balls and coloured clothing.
Qualander stated that “cricket requires discipline, dedication and concentration.”
He added that neither player nor administration can have success without the two suggesting that Guyanese need role models with these traits to emulate.
He also spoke of cricket as a positive example of Caribbean integration, and noted the role of West Indies cricket success as a tool to foster a more unified Caribbean.
In closing he expressed gratitude to Harper and Ronald Williams, who helped tie the knot between the GCA and Queensway.
Harper in his remarks said that this year, expectation was even higher for the tournament and stated that players should be motivated by the extra incentive in the prizes from sponsors.
He also said that players should be rewarded for their performance while being inspired to greater heights.
He promised that… “players will be taken care of in true Queensway style,” and suggested that in return players work hard, while maintaining a high standard of discipline and playing with passion and fair play while being competitive.
He reiterated that the incident that occurred in the recent second division final does not bode well for teams and players involved.
Harper spoke of some of the awards at stake which are the Man of the Match for each preliminary match as well as the semi final and final, MVP awards for the preliminary rounds and an MVP reward for the semi finals.
There will also he special awards for the batsman with the highest score in the final, bowler with the most wickets and the fielder with the most dismissals.
Added to those there will be awards for the coach of the winning team, the player with the highest score in the tournament, the best bowling performance, and a special reward for the fast bowler with the best performance, as well as for the media house that provides the best coverage of the tournament.
The sponsors further displayed their generosity by presenting tokens to each club in the form of coolers, well as tokens for their special guests and the media. Harper and Ronald Williams were also presented with tokens for their involvement in the tournament from behind the scenes, before the cheque for almost one million dollars was handed over to the GCA.
Lloyd then delivered the feature address where he also expressed disappointment in the second division debacle. “I came here on a high after the West Indies won, and came to see two clubs, one of them the oldest (cricket) club in the world and DCC, which just reached 100 years old,” he said whilst expressing his dissatisfaction with the issue.
He then reminded the audience that cricket is about honesty, integrity and fair play and made nostalgic reference to his youthful days at DCC when the entire club would stand on the arrival of Justice Persaud, the then club president.
He stressed that the club is a prestigious one and shouldn’t acknowledge such behavior. Lloyd also said that he believes the competition is one of prestige.
He agreed that the prizes were worth playing for and anticipated the competition to be fierce. Speaking in reference to Guyana’s current cricket climate, he said that …“Although we are having problems, we’ll overcome them and we’ll rise again. Guyana will be at the top of the ladder again.”
Speaking with the due wisdom and candor in the voice of a man who captained West Indies to successive World Cup victories, Lloyd hinted at what was in store for cricket in Guyana.
“What do I envisage? Order and the return of cricket to its lofty standards in the days of my youth, when the name of the game was synonymous with pride, integrity, propriety and decorum.”
He closed by pointing out that although no Guyanese was in the victorious West Indian T20 team, the victory still resonated within the spirit of Guyanese everywhere and that, he said just shows just how important it is to the Guyanese people.
With many of the prizes on display, the launching closed with the massive winning trophy and cheque for close to one million dollars being handed to Debra McNicholl, Secretary of the GCA. The President of the Umpires Association Grantley Culbard also received shirts for the officiating umpires in the tournament which is set to bowl off on Saturday.
