In his first year in charge of the national side, new Guyana women’s cricket coach Latchman Yadram has pledged to go all out to win this year’s West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Women’s limited overs tournament which commences today in Barbados.
The event which ends on August 14 will feature eight teams playing in two groups.
Zone A includes Guyana, defending champions Trini-dad and Tobago, Jamaica, and Grenada while Zone B consists of Barbados, last year’s runners-up St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Lucia and Dominica. The final will be played at the historic Kensington Oval on August 14. All matches start at 10 am.
The Guyana team, which finished fourth in the competition last year, left the country on Saturday morning.
Speaking with Stabroek Sport during the final of three practice games at the Gandhi Youth Organization Ground on Friday, coach Yadram expressed confidence in his team’s chances of improving on last year’s performance.
“We have never won this competition before, but I think having five West Indies representatives in this team in Shemaine Campbelle, June Ogle-Thomas, Subrina Munroe and Erva Giddings, should really give us a potential edge and aura over other teams that I hope we can exploit. “Captain Campbelle was voted the tournament MVP last year so big things are expected of her, while opener June-Ogle Thomas is the rock of the batting and her getting us off to good starts as she did recently for Demerara in the Inter-County tournament can help.
“She will be supported in the middle-order by team veteran Abena Parker who is 39 and Onika Wallerson. “This trio scoring runs will be key to whatever success we have in Barbados,” Yadram explained. “Overall, though, I’m happy with the training we have had which enabled us to have three solid practice games and various fitness enhancements. The players, like me, are confident and we are going all out for a win.”
Guyana opening fixture is against Grenada today.
The Guyana team will be selected from: Shemaine Campbelle (Captain), June Ogle-Thomas (Vice Cap-tain), Victoria Bacchus, Joann Vansertima, Tremayne Smartt, Sabrina Munroe, Erva Giddings, Latoya Toney, Akaze Thompson, Plaffiana Millington, Onika Wallerson, Trishanie Cort, Yolande Parker, Prudence Williams; Latchman Yadram (Coach ), Carol Nurse (Manager)
