This week, we asked the man/woman in the street whether they had gone to any of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Twenty/20 games at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence and what the experience was like. Their comments follow:
Anson Higgins – ‘The CPL T20 games were awesome! I went with my girlfriend to the match against Trinidad and enjoyed it. This game gave me goosebumps as it
went down to the wire. I was kind of upset when Dwayne Smith was out for duck. Other than that I enjoyed the match. Everyone wanted to see the greatest rivalry. Even though we lost, we saw unity in the crowd. It was nice to sing the champion song, even though we lost. In the past it was a little more fun but in terms of improvement for years to come it would be great to have the games go global with a few Indian superstars. Hopefully next year this can happen which would make the event one that the world can talk about.’
Amanda Jaikarran – ‘My experience was great. The atmosphere was very exhilarating. I went to two of the games, the first and last, and it was awesome. The teams performed very well. The crowd was great and Guyanese were out in their numbers supporting their home team. Most persons were wearing Amazon Warriors shirts and flew the Warriors flag proudly. Most
importantly everybody was together, enjoying the cricket in unity.’
Melody Miller – ‘I attended one of the games and I really enjoyed it. I think that the game itself was well organized and well supported by the patrons who seemed to have a good time. The Warriors are playing well despite the one loss and ought to be commended. I believe that if Guyana was to host
the semi-finals it would be well supported because there’s a hype already set.’
Angelica Parag – ‘CPL T20 cricket at the Guyana National Stadium was a great experience. But this was the first ever cricket match I watched live in a stadium. My first feeling as I walked into the stadium was evoked when Martin (Guptill) came out to bat, with over 20,000 people screaming at the top of their voices. For a moment, I just
looked around the stadium, at the people and at the field. It all looked so beautiful, so awesome. I just wondered how it must feel for a cricketer to make his entry in
front of such a loud crowd. I had come to watch the Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Jamaica Tallawahs. Before this game, I always used to wonder what’s so special about watching a cricket match in a stadium. But now I know. There were people hooting and shouting all around. It was a night to remember. What could be improved is the entry and the exit could be more decently maintained. There was a lot of hassling, shoving and pushing all around. Nevertheless, the atmosphere was great and the enthusiasm of the crowd was
amazing.’
Annalisa Beharry – ‘Guyana’s segment of the CPL 2016 was absolutely exciting. The atmosphere was electrifying as the crowd roared together in high spirits in support of the Guyana Amazon Warriors. Every ball bowled was celebrated. Kudos to the organizers and management committee but CPL 2017 in Guyana, I look forward to a better playing pitch.’
Colin Haynes – ‘I went to three of the four CPL T20 games and I think that it was great. One of the things that I saw in the last two or three games was
how united the people were. I think that is a testimony to what Guyana really is and that apart from the tensions of race among other things, we all came together at a critical time where the team Amazon Warriors represented our country. We rallied behind our team, every four, every six, every single, we celebrated every half century. I think this is important for our nation and for our development, especially economically because I saw a lot of young businessmen and entrepreneurs. I was with an economist and we were watching the game
and speaking about all the dynamics of the event and how Guyana can develop further. It’s not only about cricket but it’s also about the development of our country as
well. I’m a cricket fan and I think CPL has set a standard for the sport. I also believe that they did an excellent job in setting up the franchise so credit should be given to them. I do think though that there could have been a little more of a fanfare to show the nation’s talent but other than that the games were great.’
Sham Seonarine – ‘I only saw the match between Jamaica and the Zouks and I enjoyed it. I went with friends and was really happy to be there and view the games. This was my first time going to a CPL match, actually my first time at the stadium so it was truly an experience for me.’
Kevin Sukha – ‘I attended the Sunday game between the Warriors and Trinidad. The first part of the game was really exciting knowing that Trinidad had a trail on us
and we then had to catch up, which we did only to lose by a few runs. That was a bit disappointing, but the game was really exciting though. This was actually my first CPL
match and it was quite fun, an enjoyable game. I hope to go again next year.’
Cynthia Seepersaud – ‘I attended the match between the Warriors and Trinidad and honestly it wasn’t much different from the previous years. That’s not a bad thing, because the previous years the CPL in Guyana has been excellent, from the friendly staff at the gates to the grounds condition. The game was exciting. I enjoyed every moment of it, although we lost. Even when the rain came down. It was all good fun. The party just kept going.’
Kevin Seetram – ‘I attended two of the games, Warriors against Jamaica and the Zouks. They were very entertaining, no doubt. It was nice to see scores of Guyanese supporters cheering the Guyana Amazon Warriors to victory.’