Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Nov 10, 2018 Sports
By Sean Devers
The inauguration of an under-17 T20 Female Franchise League by the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) was a good initiative and although the teams lacked proper preparation and some of Laws of Cricket were not adhered to there were plenty of positives derived from the tournament which, one hopes will better organised next year.
The League was won by Essequibo and while nobody scored a fitty or took a five-wicket haul everyone chipped in with consistent performances as their only loss was to West Demerara in the second round after getting a walk-over from East Bank in the first round.
Their loss to West Demerara in the ‘super-over’ was the only Tie in the tournament.
Lisa Charles, Annalisa D’Aguiar, Lilitha Patterson, Divani Ross, Navika Narine, Marcia Anthony, Lavina Ragbeer and Onika Stoley all contributed in a team effort.
Lower Corentyne, whose only loss was to Essequibo, finished second as 14-year-old Canjie Secondary School’s Navina Ramnauth looked the best off-spinner on show and got support from Anissa Samaroo, while Ashmini Munisar and Skipper Lafano Gilgeous were consistent with the bat.
National U-18 Tennis Champion, 17-year-old student of Mae’s school, Afruica Gentle, was the stand out all-rounder.
After East Bank did not play in first round Gentle began with 55 not out at Albion in the second round and followed it up with scores of 89 run out, 109 not out, 13 and 56 for an aggregate of 322 at an Average of 107.33.
The powerfully built Gentle captured 10 wickets with her left-arm spin for East Bank and shared in useful opening stands with Dalancy Seecharran who also looked a promising all-rounder, while National U-15 Footballer Shamaya Daniels offered support in a ‘three-member’ team.
East Coast’s Shemika Edwards (51) was the only other batter to score a half-century and was consistent with bat through the tournament.
West Demerara’s Buckam who captured 5-18 against West Berbice was the leading wicket-taker with 15 victims and along with Lower Corentyne’s Ramnauth who had 5-8 in the final round against GT were the only bowlers with five-wicket hauls.
West Berbice’s pacer Renata Liverpool had a couple of four-wicket hauls and was among the top wicket-takers but she has a lot of work to do on her bowling action.
The League exposed a number raw young talent with East Coast’s Shemika Edwards, National U-19 player Sarah Amin, Athenian Nandan, Tilleya Madramootoo, Shazana Majeed and Vinita Ballkishun, West Berbice’sTiea Isaacs, Tiemacia Soloman, Renata Liverpool and Tamara George, West Demerara’s Marissa Carroll, Varuni Pitambar, Jamaica Simon, Devika Boodenlall and Avina Buckam, Georgetown’s, Neha Singh, Emalissa Whyte and Hemwattie Mohabiar and Upper Corentyne’s Britney Mc Ally, Sheridan Nelson, Alaneh Williams and Sheridan Nelson, being the main contributors to their teams.
The league was played at a time when Guyana is one of three Countries hosting ICC Women’s World Cup matches and it is hoped that teenagers are encouraged and given tickets to watch at least the West Indies match here.
It is also hoped that the best players from this tournament will be worked with in their Counties with the aim of making their U-17 County teams.
It was also very good that the players had the opportunity to travel to Demerara and Berbice and have the experience of seeing different places in their Country and witnessing different cultures.
Maybe next year the GCB can have at least one of the defending Champions matches played at the Imam Bacchus ground on the Essequibo Coast.
The GCB should be commended for providing the players with coloured uniforms and the teams with bats, pads and gloves. GCB Buses transported the players to and from the venues.
The League was hastily arranged with no Coaches sent into the schools to identify and work with teams which resulted in the strongest sides not being selected and most of the girls ‘pelting’ and not understanding the Laws of cricket.
The GT side was picked from St Joseph’s and Tutorial alone, while qualified Umpires were not appointed by the GCB and the Coaches used as Umpires which resulted in the ‘no-ball’ Law for illegal actions, for balls bouncing more than twice in addition to the ‘time out’ law not being adhered to.
The playing conditions for ‘wides’ were changed in the middle of the tournament with wides being scored as two runs and the delivery not being re-bowled, while some scores did not credit wides to the bowlers.
This is a developmental tournament and if the young lasses are allowed to ‘pelt’, muscle memory, will make it hard for them to correct their actions as they grow older.
Batters many times took as long as five minutes to get to their crease on the fall of a wicket with nothing being done by the Coaches who were Umpiring. Many were not aware that there was a ‘time-out’ Law.
Next year the GCB should collaborate with the NSC and Ministry of Education to have Coaches go the schools and pick the best players from each school before picking the Franchise team and allow the Franchise Coaches enough time to work with their team.
Please share this to every Guyanese including your house cats.
Apr 19, 2024
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