With the prolonged May/June rainy season seemingly coming to an end, the new cricket season in Georgetown will soon bowl off.
The Everest Cricket Club (ECC), which boasts of having arguably has the best draining outfield in the city, is ready to host the first match of the second half of the year with Everest Masters playing West Demerara Mavericks on Emancipation Day (Thursday, August 1).
After mixed fortunes in the first half of the year, the hosts are prepared to begin the new season on a winning note with the inclusion of Guyana and West Indies cricket legend Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who is expected to shoulder the batting like he did most of his career.
Everest Masters will also look to the likes of Azeemul Haniff, Sahadeo Hardaiow, Safraz Sheriffudeen, Hemraj Garbarran and Saheed Mohamed to support Chanderpaul for a good total against the Mavericks, while Ucil Armstrong, Basil Persaud, Anwar Rahaman and Ronald Jaisingh are expected to hold their own with the ball.
Meanwhile, the visitors will rely on their experienced Sham Persaud, Sudesh Persaud and Mark Gittens to get them over the line.
The 25-over per side match is slated to begin at 12:00h and will be played with the pink ball with all players in full coloured uniforms.
West Demerara Mavericks: Sham Persaud, Mark Gittens, Sudesh Persaud, Balram Aron, Prahalad Singh, Eon Williams, Ganesh Persaud, Deoram Persaud, Abid Haniff, Seenarine Mathura, Rajendra Tulsie, Richard Sookdeo and Dereck Mangar.
Everest Masters: Rajesh Singh, Sahadeo Hardaiow, Saheed Mohamed, Hemraj Garbarran, Shiv Chanderpaul, Basil Persaud, Azeemul Hanif, Ronald Jaisingh, Imtiaz Sadik, Anwar Rahaman, Robin Bharat, Ucil Armstrong, Safraz Sheriffudeen, John Ramsingh, Satyendra Khemraj, Nadir Baksh and Ravi Narayan.
The winning trophy is sponsored by the Rockaway Group of Companies from Queens, New York, while Trophy Stall of Bourda Market has sponsored the Man-of-the-Match trophy.
