Dear Editor,
Royal Challengers were scheduled to play their first game in the GT&T 10/10 competition on Sunday, February 20 against Liliendaal Legion at Success ground. They were there to play on the 20th and they noticed that the ground was not in a condition for play so they protested, but no consideration was granted. So they were left with no other choice but to play. After they lost the toss, they were asked to choose and they decided to field after 4 overs were bowled for 4 wickets and 15 runs, of which 11 runs were extra; the other team protested that the conditions were not suitable to continue playing as the rain continued. Then the two sides came to an agreement not to continue the game. They were told the next fixture was on February 23 once the ground was in good condition, and although they protested that this day was a national holiday, they were told by the Success Zone representative that they had to come.
From Sunday the 20th to Monday the 21st the rain continued and there was flooding in Buxton and Friendship which are home to the team members. On Tuesday the rain stopped, but flooding was still present. RC captain Jermaine Cockfield called Mark Persaud, the Zone Representative of Lusignan who registered their team, and asked him to find out from the Success Zone Representative if the game was still on. Mark related that he had heard that all fixtures were being pushed to the weekend of the 26th and 27th, but he would find out.
While Jermaine awaited Mark’s call he informed the team that they may need to go and see the conditions, and if these weren’t suitable for play they would return home. On the morning of the 23rd, after the team was prepared at 8 am, Jermaine received the call from Mark who said the game was postponed until the weekend. They also noticed that in Stabroek News. Jermaine relayed this information to his team and everyone went home. About 45 minute later the RC captain received another call from Mark who said that he had got a called from the Success Zone Representative telling him that he wanted to push off the games today (23rd) because the ground was dry. RC’s Captain then immediately went to everyone’s home to try and get the team ready once more because they were scheduled to play the first game at 9 am and it was already 9 while he was still trying to get the team. After visiting everyone’s home the Captain was only able to get 6 players who were able to go. They were stuck at Buxton Linetop waiting on a bus, because the bus that usually takes them was unable to do so. So 5 players went ahead, while the Captain and a player remained behind because the bus could not take them all. When the 5 players got there at 10.20 am Andrew Gibson (Vice Captain) was told by the Success Zone Representative that the opposing team was given a walk over; they saw no members of the other team.
By this time the Captain and player Leroy Thomas were in a bus at BV heading to Success when they got this information from Andrew Gibson via phone. When they got there they noticed that the ground was dry, but the Captain was told by the Zone Representative that the other team was there and had already left. When asked if they could return or if the game could be played another day, the Captain was told no, the team was out of the competition. After a conversation with the another captain, he found out that Liliendaal Legion never turned up to play on the 23rd February, 2011.
The Captain wrote a protest, but was unable to submit it within the 24-hour period because of persistent rain and flooding.
On Saturday, February 26, the Captain called Mark after he noticed that the team was still scheduled to play on February 27, according to the Stabroek News, even though they were out of the competition. The Captain the called the organizer and related what had taken place on February 23. He listened and promised to call him back after he heard what the Success Zone Representative had to say. When he called back he asked what time the players arrived and how many there were, and why a protest was not submitted. The captain responded as recounted above. When the Captain asked about the fact that the other team was not present according to another captain who was there from 9 am on February 23, he said that he could only go with what the Representative said and not some captain. He concluded by advising that the team should still go out and support the competition because it was their competition, and wished them better luck next year.
Royal Challengers believe that the decision to knock them out of the competition was wrong and unfair because it was a national holiday, there were floods, there were reasons causing them to be late and they had made a great effort to be there, and because their game had already been called off on Sunday the 20th. They would like to be treated fairly and allowed to play in the competition.
Yours faithfully,
Jermaine Cockfield
Captain
