Latest update April 24th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jul 02, 2008 Sports
By Sean Devers
A Confident Guyana team, hunting a hat trick of TCL under-19 three-day cricket titles, wings out this morning for Barbados for this year’s tournament and the touring squad was last night hosted by the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) at a farewell function at the Water Christ Hotel in the City.
President of the GCB Chetram Singh challenged the Eugene La Fleur led team to retain their three-day title and to win the One-Day crown for the first time since it was introduced in 1998.
“I think this is a very good squad the selectors picked and I know that defending champions Guyana will be the team that everyone is gunning to beat this year.
We have never won the One-Day title and I challenge you to set the record straight,” Singh, the GCB President since 1992, told the gathering which included Manager of TCL Guyana Inc Mark Bender, Captain of the team which won back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007 and Chairman of the National youth selection panel Lennox Hunte.
Singh reminded the 14 players (five of whom played in last year’s tournament in St Kitts) of Guyana’s rich tradition in regional youth cricket and urged the players to aim for the hat trick of titles.
Guyana, who lost to Jamaica in last year’s One-Day final, has won more titles (12) than any other team since regional youth cricket began in Barbados in 1968 and set a record when they won six consecutive titles from 1992-1997.
“Guyanese are all over the world and you will have a lot of support in Barbados so don’t let them down. This is not an excursion! You need to give your best effort for your country and discipline should be a key element of this trip to Barbados since Guyanese teams in the past have a reputation of winning the trophy for the most disciplined team,” Singh told the youths.
Singh feels the team has the ability to retain their title and said that winning the ‘double’ should be the aim.
GCB’s Public Relations Officer Terry Holder also charged the players to bring back both trophies and said that plans are already in place for another celebratory presentation at the Regency Hotel when they return home with championship honors.
“Out of thousands of young cricketers in Guyana, you are the best 14 and I want you to give a one hundred percent effort in Barbados.
Your first responsibility is to help the team win but also remember that if you give of your best the regional selectors will be looking at you and this is a great opportunity for you to start your journey to the West Indies team,” Holder said.
Bender said that TCL is fully committed to this tournament and urged the young players to not only win the three-day trophy but also the one-day title.
“This is the third year I have been invited to speak at this farewell function and I am hoping that for the third year I will be also asked to symbolically present the championship trophy when you return home next month,” the TCL official said.
“You are the best young cricketers in this country. (Steven) Jacobs is here and I hope you take inspiration from him and continue Guyana’s winning ways he set in the last two years,” Bender added.
Manager of the team Alvin Johnson said that when he says he is confident of winning again, he was not just talking but really means it.
“This is not a star studded team. We have no big name players in the team but we have a very balanced side. I believe our bowling is strong this year and for the first time in a long time I believe we can match anybody in the pace department.
We have the fire power to throw back this year anything that we get and even those who like to use pace often don’t like to take it back,” Johnson said.
We have 5 three-day matches and (possibly) three one-day games and while we are a bit short on match practice, we have had adequate turf practice despite the adverse weather.
We can’t complain about the weather and the availability of the (Guyana National) Stadium was a major help in our preparations and we must thank those in charge for its use.
Guyana face the Leeward Islands in their opening game at the Kensington Oval on Friday and the players promised to keep the Golden Arrow Head flying proudly.
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