The Guyana Cricket Board and Hand-in-Hand Insurance on Wednesday confirmed their partnership for the upcoming Inter-county Under-19 competition, set to start on May 29 in Demerara.
The competition will be a lengthy one featuring both the 50-over and Three-day versions crammed into one schedule. The 50-over segment will commence on May 29 and conclude on June 2, while the Three-day will start on June 6 and wrap up on June 16.
Director and Fire Manager at Hand-in-Hand Insurance, Howard Cox, said the company was pleased with the execution of the tournament last year, and it was easy to once again renew the contract with the Board.
“The Cricket Board has its detractors, but there is one thing you can’t argue with: it’s the results that the cricketers have been achieving for the last few years under the stewardship of this Board. We have won almost everything there is to win,” Cox reasoned.
He added, “Our senior team continues to dominate, (winning the Regional Four-day title) three years in a row. They say winning is a habit and losing is a habit, and it’s very pleasing to us (because) Hand-in-Hand likes to back winners and it seems like the Guyana cricket teams no doubt by the urgings of the Board have developed this winning habit.”
Secretary of the Guyana Cricket Board, Anand Sanasie, said the Board is cognisant of the current inclement weather, and has put systems in place to ensure the playing of cricket is not affected by the elements.
“What we’ve also been doing at the Guyana Cricket Board is ensuring the Under-19s get into an academy system that we have so that they’re prepared. They’re paid to practice and prepare themselves for cricket. This competition, in an effort for it not to be bothered by the rain, we try to fix some of the matches for the Stadium. It’s a prohibitive cost, but the intention is to play cricket, not to have rained out matches,” Sanasie said.
The competition will feature the three county sides Berbice, Demerara and Essequibo and a fourth side in the Select Under-17 national team.
