Jai Hind CC launches Mash Cup Masters T20 fundraiser
-on a mission to promote sports and academics
The Jai Hind Cricket Club of Albion, Corentyne, Berbice has launched its inaugural Mash Cup Masters T20 cricket tournament to be played on February 23.
The tournament will involve four Masters teams namely the host Jai Hind Jaguars, West Berbice Masters, West
Demerara Masters and Strahavon Masters. The teams will compete for a first prize of $100,000 with the runners-up receiving $25,000.
There will also be trophies for the winning team, the runners-up and the Man-ofthe-Match in the final.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Legendary speedster Sir Curtly Ambrose has praised West Indies’ outstanding performance in the ongoing Test series in Bangladesh, and says the form of the players could keep the first choice picks out of the squad in upcoming series.
Ten regular players – including five who represented the core of the Test side’s batting – declined selection for the two-Test tour due to COVID-19 fears forcing selectors to turn to a number of debutants.
Faced with a full strength home side in the first Test, an under-strength West Indies defied the odds to trounce Bangladesh by three wickets after chasing down 395 on the final day last Sunday.
At the heart of the victory were two debutants in Kyle Mayers, who hit an unbeaten 210 and Nkrumah Bonner who struck 86 – the pair putting on 216 in a record fourth wicket stand.
“Like most West Indians, I’m extremely happy for the guys,” Sir Curtly, a member of the television commentary team for the Super50 Cup, said here yesterday.
“Not too many cricket lovers gave them any chance of beating Bangladesh, and to have won that game in that fashion, was so refreshing. I’m so excited for guys.
“And most people talk about second string, I don’t like those words because these guys are the next in line of what we had so therefore I’m so happy they’ve done well and shown all the negative ones who think they can’t do it at this level.
“So one-nil up, into the second [Test] we’re doing extremely well … 400-plus in the first innings, contributions all around and I’m hoping they go on to win the second Test.”
With first choice gloveman Shane Dowrich also opting out of the tour for personal reasons, his absence meant a spot for rookie wicketkeeper-batsman, Joshua Da Silva, who had played only a single Test prior to the series.
However, Da Silva made 42 and 20 in the opening Test and then followed up with a top score of 92 yesterday in the second Test, to press his case for a permanent place in the squad.
And with the likes of Darren Bravo (32 runs), Roston Chase (17) and Shamarh Brooks (53 runs) all enduring wretched form on the tour of New Zealand last December, the enterprise of the batsmen on the Bangladesh tour is now expected give selectors increased options for pending home tours – a fact acknowledged by Sir Curtly.
“Most of these guys are still young and they got an opportunity to impress and they certainly did that,” said Sir Curtly, a former assistant West Indies coach.
“Now it’s going to make selection extremely difficult come the next series because in my opinion, some of the guys must play so the guys that did not go Bangladesh, some of them are going to miss out.
“But the main fact and the great thing about it is that West Indies cricket looks good for the future.”
Sir Curtly, who featured in a now historic run chase in 1999 when West Indies beat Australia at Bridgetown thanks to Brian Lara’s unbeaten 153, said the first Test win in Chattogram had been among the finest of all time.
“It’s right up there – we have to admit that. Some people may say it’s only Bangladesh but I’m not for that,” Sir Curtly said regarding the fifth highest successful run chase in history.
“Bangladesh is a quality team, especially in their own backyard and for them to chase 395 on a last day and Kyle Mayers who had a brilliant innings with 200-plus not out … it was an exceptional performance by him and the whole team.”
West Indies yesterday put themselves in with a great chance to win the second Test in Dhaka when they piled up 409 in the first innings and then reduced the hosts to 105 for four at the close.
And Sir Curtly said he believed West Indies needed to play aggressively over the next three days in order to force a victory.
“We’ve got to push for a win. We’ve already scored more than 400, Bangladesh are just [105] for four, we should push for a win,” said the Antiguan who snatched 405 wickets from 98 Tests.
“Bowl them out cheaply and either enforce the followon or bat and get some quick runs, bat them out of the game and look for a win.
“If it doesn’t happen, well it’s ok. We’re one-nil up but we’ve got to push for a win first.”
Minister of Natural Resources and Patron of the Berbice Cricket Board, Vickram Bharrat made a surprise visit to the Guyana Cricket Board/Hand-In-Hand U19 Inter-County tournament yesterday where he presented Berbice opener, Rampertab Ramnauth, with a bat.
Port Mourant Cricket Club’s Ramnauth, is one of four Guyana players currently in the West Indies U-19 training squad.
In an exclusive interview with this publication, Bharrat explained that this was his way of giving back to Berbice, where he is originally from.
“First of all I have been appointed the Patron of Berbice Cricket Board and I know these youngsters at the Under-19 level, they would need some kind of motivation, some kind of support because being a Berbician myself, I know the situation in Berbice, I know the encouragement that is needed at this tender age,” he stated. Bharrat said that he has noticed the talent in Ramnauth, whose family he knows personally, adding that this was a nurturing process in order to see him fulfil his potential.
“We would have realized the young batsman has a lot of talent, having already been recognized by West Indies Cricket because he would have toured England at the Under-15 level so he is among the many bright prospects in Berbice cricket, somebody who I believe, we could nurture and ensure that he explores his full potential and talent and possibly make it up to West Indies so it is just a little way of motivating him,” Bharrat said.
This is the latest in a string of initiatives since being inducted as the Patron of the county board.
“Actually, it is not the first if I may say so. When I was inducted as Patron of the Berbice Cricket Board, I would have made a substantial donation to Berbice cricket. We started out with a million dollars and that was the first and we would have donated a lot of gear as well to the smaller clubs in Berbice so we could develop cricket in the other areas other than the Port Mourant, Albion, Rose Hall and New Amsterdam areas,” he disclosed.
Bharrat said that there will be a semiprofessional league in Berbice later this year and they will be working to make it a success. The Natural Resources Minister disclosed that the gestures are part of his initiative to motivate and encourage children to push the boundaries both on the field and academically.
“I am trying to assist too in some other ways as possible and I am also trying to encourage, especially the ones in school or at school age to try and continue their schooling so I am trying to get some as regards to whoever needs to write their CXC examinations so they could be assisted financially to write their exams so they could focus on both and not cricket alone.
“We know that is a trend in Guyana where the young cricketers they neglect their education at the expense of cricket but we are trying to get them a bit more balanced now because you realize there is life after cricket and they would have to prepare for that and there is no guarantee that everybody would make it into West Indies cricket so there must be a Plan B and that Plan B should be education so at the same time I am encouraging them to do well on the cricket field I am also encouraging them to do well in education.”
Berbice made sure that tomorrow’s clash against Demerara will be an all to play for affair, handing Essequibo a six-wicket defeat yesterday in the Guyana Cricket Board/Hand-in-Hand Under-19 Inter-County tournament.
At the La Bonne Intention ground, the match was reduced to a 36-overs-a-side affair taking into consideration, Essequibo’s traveling.
Essequibo won the toss and opted to bat first on a semiglossy pitch under the blistering sun. However, the Cinderella County was contained to just 96 all out in 34 overs.
Berbice, in reply, raced to 97 for four with six overs remaining.
Left-arm spinner, Gourav Ramesh, pulled out a Man-ofthe-Match performance, picking up 3-19 from his six overs.
Spirited fast-bowler, Leon Swamy troubled the Essequibo batsmen early on with his pace, eventually ending with two for 21 including the wicket of Essequibo captain, Ameer Singh for a 10-ball duck.
Essequibo failed to string together large partnerships despite a few batsmen getting starts. Opener, Sheldon Charles, looked positive at the crease but could not convert his luck into a significant score, being dropped on 10, 15 and 22.
The former national U-17 allrounder managed 30 from 66 balls with one four and one six before he was run out attempting a second run that was never on.
Lance Roberts gave Essequibo a glimmer of hope with a 12-ball 19 and added 29 for the eighth wicket with Aryan Persaud who was left stranded on 15 from 45 balls.
Before the lunch break, Essequibo was looking confident having already removed opener, Shamal Angel for a first-ball duck to see Berbice on 13 for one after five overs.
When the contest resumed it was a one sided affair. Rampertab Ramnauth and Marvan Prashad shared a 43-run partnership for the second wicket. Essequibo just could not hold on to their catches as Ramnauth was dropped on 14 while Prashad was put down on six.
Prashad went on to stroke two boundaries on his way to 24 from 54 balls while Ramnauth made 21 from 47 balls, highlighted by three boundaries before being trapped leg before wicket to Roberts (1-22).
Seon Glasgow and Aaron Beharry quickly got their team over the line, ending on 21 and 19 respectively. Beharry carved two boundaries during his 36ball innings while Glasgow clubbed one four and six over long off to end the match.
Tomorrow’s action will crown the champions as Berbice and Demerara have already won one match each.