The Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) in collaboration with sponsors Carib Beer (ANSA McAL) and Noble House Seafoods, yesterday launched their first division T20 and second division two-day cricket tournaments respectively, at the Malteenoes Sports Club, Thomas Lands.
At the official launching ceremony, GCA President Roger Harper lauded the two entities for supporting the association’s initiative. Harper noted that both tournaments were opportunities for players to showcase their talents.
He also urged the players to play the game in the “true spirit and maintain proper discipline” throughout both tournaments. ANSA McAL Public Relations Officer, Darshanie Yusuf said that her company was happy to be part of the T20 tournament which they see as a “stepping stone for young cricketers,” who will want to emulate the National star players like Leon Johnson and Christopher Barnwell, who will partake in the respective tournaments.
The Carib Beer T20 tournament is set to bowl off this Sunday, while Noble House Seafoods’ two-day cricket tournament gets underway next Saturday.
The shorter format has attracted nine first division clubs and will be split into two playing zones, A and B.
Zone A features clubs such as: Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC), Gandhi Youth Organisation (GYO), Transport Sport Club (TSC), and Police, while Demerara Cricket Club (DCC), Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC), GNIC, and Everest Cricket Club feature in Zone B.
The competition will be played on a league basis in the Zones. As a result, teams in Zone B will play one team in their Zone twice so that each team in the competition will have the opportunity to play four preliminary round matches.
Some of the stipulated playing conditions listed by the GCA, include that fast bowlers must account for 40 percent of the allotted overs of an innings by the bowling team when the team bowls its full complement of overs. This is however not applied if the batting team is dismissed before the overs are completed, providing that the overs not bowled would include and amount to the missing overs from the pacers.
Failure to adhere to that specific playing condition, will cause ten runs to be added to the opposition’s score for each over of pace that was not bowled.
Other conditions include use of white balls and coloured clothing in the tournament; a team can be awarded for every 30 runs scored up to 150 runs, so a team can earn a maximum of five batting bonus points; one bonus point will be awarded for every two wickets taken, so teams can earn a maximum of five bowling bonus points.
In the longer format, the second division two-day tournament, fourteen teams will focus their aim at developing fast bowlers and improving discipline among the city players. Teams will face penalties if fast bowlers are not used for at least 25% of an innings that exceeds 20 overs.
One point will be deducted for each over of pace that is not accounted for in each innings while Under-19 fast bowlers can bowl no more than six overs in a single spell in keeping with the WICB conditions.
The playing conditions also indicated that 90-overs must be bowled in a day.
Another example of the GCA’s commitment to improving the standard of the players both on and off the field is the regulation which states that teams will have four points deducted from whatever points gained during the competition for each of the following breaches of the code of conduct: littering of the match venue; leaving dressing rooms dirty and untidy; players being improperly dressed on the field; undisciplined behaviour; late arrival at venue; players showing dissent to umpiring decisions, and players; and coaches or managers showing dissent or heckling umpires from on or off the field.
It was also disclosed that the umpires’ performance will be graded by the teams and their fellow on-field umpires to evaluate the standard of the umpiring at the end of the competition.
The champions will collect $100,000 and a trophy while the runners-up will get $60,000 and a trophy along with medals.
For Sunday’s T20 fixtures, GDF will play Police from 9.30 am while GCC tackle TSC from 1.30 pm at the Police ground. At the Everest Cricket Club ground MSC will clash with DCC from 9.30 am with the host playing GNIC in the afternoon encounter.
