-Mark Bender

By Tiadi Blair
Guyana’s Under-19 cricket team is set to participate in the three-day and one-day regional series in Jamaica from July 9 to August 5.

Ready for take off! The Guyana Under-19 cricket team and managers pose at Monday evening’s gathering before heading off to the TCL Three-day and One-day Regional Series in Jamaica.

On Monday evening the players and team manager along with executives gathered for a formal dinner at Waterchris Hotel to send the team off to what the Guyana Cricket Board hopes will be a tournament yielding trophies.

The tournament is sponsored by Trinidad Cement Limited (TCL) who for many years have put their support behind cricket in the Caribbean, particularly Under-19 cricket. Plant Manager of TCL (Guyana) Mark Bender at the gathering stated that the tournament is  necessary for the development of the game and young cricketers.

He insisted that his company is dedicated to the sport despite financial obstacles faced locally and worldwide.

“Despite challenging times we at TCL are committed to this tournament and despite the challenges we’ve seen with the global financial crisis have not wavered and we wish the Guyana team the best of luck.”

Among the well wishers was Director of Sport Neil Kumar who said he was able to follow the team closely, observing that the young men possessed a great measure of talent, and noted the quality he had seen in the team’s fast bowlers.

He said the team had four fast bowlers who he hoped would deliver a better performance than previous bowlers.

Acting President of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB) Faisal Bacchus said he was proud to have what he claimed was  ‘the best team ever’ for Under-19 cricket. He asked that the team bring back the three-day championship trophy, the one-day championship trophy and portray Guyana through disciplined behaviour while on tour.

The members of the Under-19 team are: Captain Anthony Bramble, Seon Daniels, Andrea Stull, Jonathan Fu, Alexander Amsterdam, Keon Joseph, Royston Atkins, Trevon Griffith, Datendra Sukhdeo, Toteram Bisham, Herald Green, Seon Hetmeier, Ronsford Beaton and Antony Adams. The management team includes Ewan Evans, Elroy Stephaney and Alwin Johnson.