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Essequibo Cricket Board President Deleep Singh

Understandably, there may be slight adjustments in the training time to facilitate the unique needs of the individual Academies.

The Academy Programme is the brainchild of GCB President Bissoondyal Singh.

At the initial launch at Walton Hall in Essequibo, the Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB) President, Vice-President of GCB, and Director of Cricket West Indies, Deleep Singh commemorated the event by giving opening remarks.

President Deleep Singh was adamant that the Academy will play a big role in the rejuvenation of cricket in Essequibo.

He pointed out that the aim of the Academy is to focus on honing the skills of players who may be lacking fundamentals or to further enhance any possible skills that the young cricketers may possess.

President Deleep Singh was high in praise to the GCB President and executives, thanking the GCB for implementing the same programme which he viewed as both worthwhile and timely.

Also, the ECB President thanked the coaches, parents, and students (players) for turning out in their numbers to be a part of such a historic event hosted collaboratively by the GCB and ECB.

The ECB head concluded by reiterating that the focus of the Academy on the key areas of player development of young players is a huge factor in the effort and drive to nurture and develop the talents of youths, and encouraged the players to make full use of the opportunity.

The GCB’s Territorial Development Officer Colin Stuart urged the players across the three Academies to focus not only on the game, but also on the process of themselves becoming Pros while giving them insight on how to approach the game.

The ex-West Indies pacer pointed out that while the technical aspects are crucial to the player’s development, the fact that cricket is considered to be played with 90% of the players of mental prowess, heavy emphasis must be placed on players’ abilities to consistently execute tasks well.

This consistency must suffice within the varied play conditions that will be presented from match to match within and outside of one’s country.

Further, Stuart called on young players across the respective Academies to, over time, show the necessary drive needed to be a professional cricketer, locally, regionally, and internationally.

He stressed that outside of the technical aspects of cricket, like batting, bowling, and fielding, the need to execute tasks properly albeit on or off the cricket pitch is essential, as it helps to build one’s professional approach to achieving regular success.

Stuart indicated to those present at the launch that the Academy coaches and other suitable personnel will in addition to the technical and physical fitness aspects of the game, address the critical related components of the game on the Laws of cricket, etiquette, player communication with media, sportsmanship and player commitment.

Additionally, the launches held in Essequibo were graced with the presence of ECB executives and several ECB coaches from across ‘Cinderella County’, including the likes of ECB Vice-President Elroy Stephney, former national youth manager Nazeer Mohammed, all of whom appeared overwhelmed with joy by the new doors which are now opened for players in the Essequibo Region.

Both Stephney and Mohammed thanked the GCB for their massive support.

The coaches present at the launch noted that with such an Academy platform available, it will be easier for players to refine their abilities by virtue of dedication and training toward attaining set realistic goals that will put them in a better position to perform consistently well in matches, and thereby making it easier for them to become visible to the Committee/Association, County, and National selectors.

President of the Guyana Cricket Board, Bissoondyal Singh

GCB President Bissoondyal Singh, who could not have been present at the launch due to another pressing high-level engagement that was previously scheduled, expressed his and the GCB’s executive happiness in the realisation of a critical component of the GCB Five-Year Strategy Plan.

President Singh, in his worded submission for presentation at the launch, stated that the Academy initiative was given significant priority by the GCB executives, given the identified gaps in the player development pathway, and the conceptualised benefits of the Academy Programme to the players.

In the case of the former, at times players are selected for national teams with technical deficiencies, and lower fitness levels than required in relation to set CWI/GCB benchmarks and their mental applications which it is perceived can be greatly improved.

Consequently, apart from conducting National Inter-County Tournaments, the GCB has prioritised the Academy Programme to eliminate, or greatly reduce some of these aforementioned deficiencies.

The GCB is of the view that the Academy Programme carried out for its intended purpose will assist players to make the respective national teams with higher levels of technical, and physical fitness abilities, and with greater levels of appropriate mental applications.

The latter is necessary to be inculcated in players since they are required to adapt to various match conditions, whether it be related to pitch, team opposition, and or crowd.

Singh thanked the ECB President and executives, as well as the Chairperson and executives of the North Essequibo Cricket Committee, South Essequibo Cricket Committee and Wakenaam Cricket Committee, for leading the way in getting the groundwork done to implement the programme and urged that they remained steadfast in assisting the GCB through its Marketing Committee to acquire funds to support and sustain the Academy Programme.

Additionally, Singh thanked the youth players and their parents/guardians for demonstrating an interest in being a part of the Academy Programme, and reassured them that the GCB will continue to explore avenues that will lend support to the development of the players’ needs and requirements.

The GCB is encouraging the parents and guardians, and corporate Guyana to embrace and support this valuable nationwide Academy Programme.

GFF President Wayne Forde and officials of Tiger Rentals meeting players ahead of the kick-off on the opening day

“Youth development is at the heart of everything we do at the GFF. The Tiger Rentals League Cup Championship was introduced to provide our Regional Academy Training Centres (ATCs) with additional game time, while at the same time generating an exciting conclusion to what has been an exceptional competition.”

He added: “We are discovering some remarkable young talent and I would like to encourage parents and family members to come out and support these young ballers.”

Young footballers from 10 Regional Academies – East Coast Demerara, Georgetown, Upper Demerara, East Bank Demerara, West Berbice, Bartica, West Demerara, East Berbice, Rupununi and Essequibo – are competing in the championship.

The tournament provides an opportunity for young players to showcase their skill in a competitive environment

Speaking on behalf of the tournament’s sponsor, Naraine wished all the players well and stressed that her company is committed to supporting long-term development of football in Guyana.

“We believe that the children are the future, we must invest in them. Tiger Rentals is committed to long term development of the football talent in Guyana and we are sure we will see massive talent coming out of our investment,” Naraine said.

Teams were placed into two groups of five. Each group will then play a round-robin format and the two teams with the most points in each group will contest in the championship match.

So far, Rupununi, Bartica and East Coast have won two games each, while Georgetown, East Bank, Upper Demerara and East Berbice have one game apiece. West Berbice. West Demerara and Essequibo have yet to win a game.

The GFF-Tiger Rentals Under-13 Inter-Association Development Football League was launched in December 2022 with the Academy Phase competition, which was won by the youngsters from the East Coast Academy Training Centre.

The tournament was specifically designed to develop young players’ ability to apply their knowledge of the game and to ensure that they have a competitive national platform to do so.

Action in the tournament will continue on Saturday and Sunday, with kick-off time being 09:30h on both days.

https://www.windiescricket.com/news/coaching/ (CWI)

Phil Salt‘s 87 off 45 balls, to finish off a chase of 182 against RCB with 20 balls to spare.

After three ducks and only one score over 10 in his last five T20 innings, Salt sent five of his six sixes over the leg-side boundary during at assault that featured a lot of horizontal-bat shots.

The Capitals chase got going with their first half-century opening stand of the season, and Salt kept attacking to bring the asking rate under six in almost no time. They raced to 70 in the Powerplay, 115 at the halfway mark with Salt’s 28-ball fifty, before plundering 24 runs off a Harshal Patel over to reduce the chase to 32 off 42 balls.

Salt was eventually bowled for 87, but his eight fours and six sixes helped Capitals beat RCB for the first time in three years. It was Capitals’ fourth win in their last five games, and lifted them off the bottom of the table.

DC’s best Powerplay

The Capitals chase was unlike any of their batting displays this season. David Warner began with two fours off the first three balls from Mohammed Siraj, before sweeping Wanindu Hasaranga‘s first ball for six in the fourth over. In between, Salt took on Josh Hazlewood for two fours before a feisty fifth over from Siraj.

Salt top-edged the first ball for six over the wicketkeeper, slapped the second one over cover and into the stands, and then flicked one bounce into the square-leg boundary. Siraj responded with a bouncer that was called wide and there followed a heated conversation between the bowler and the batter, and some animated finger-pointing from Siraj towards both Salt and Warner.

Warner skied a catch off Hazlewood for 22 off 14 in the last over of the powerplay but Mitchell Marsh ended the over with a big six over midwicket and an edged four to power Capitals to 70 after six overs. They might not have got so much had Dinesh Karthik held on to a tough chance from Salt – an inside edge off Hasaranga – in the fourth over.

Salt’s boundary bonanza

Salt was on 35 off 17 at the time and he threw his bat at anything wayward: wide balls disappeared over cover, short ones were pulled disdainfully, and a few edges also raced to the boundary.

Marsh holed out off a full toss but the attack on RCB’s bowlers did not abate. Salt began the 13th over, from Harshal, with a six over the leg side and Rilee Rossouw smashed two more down the ground, before a misfield on the long-off boundary from Suyash Prabhudessai made it 24 runs off the over.

Salt belted out two more boundaries before falling to Karn Sharma and Rossouw ended the game in the 17th over with his third six.

Mahipal Lomror raised the tempo of RCB’s innings quickly (Photo: Associated Press)

Kohli and Du Plessis solid but not spectacular

After RCB chose to bat on what was considered to be a slow pitch at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Virat Kohli started by playing nine dot balls in the first three overs, but also found the boundary in each of them.

RCB got a boost when Faf du Plessis struck Mukesh Kumar for three fours in the fifth over before he hit Khaleel Ahmed for a straight six and a four to make it 51 from the powerplay.

Marsh goes bang, bang

Kohli and du Plessis batted into the 11th over of the innings, when Marsh had du Plessis caught slapping a short and wide slower ball to deep point. He then had Glenn Maxwell caught first ball to reduce RCB to 82 for 2. Kohli was on 36 of 31 at the other end, and the run rate dipped slightly.

Mahipal Lomror lifts RCB

Mahipal Lomror raised the tempo of RCB’s innings quickly. He pulled his fifth ball for six off Kuldeep Yadav, and used the reverse-sweep and the loft down the ground to find the boundary, before pulling Marsh for another six to lift the run rate over eight an over.

Kohli, meanwhile, found short fine leg for 55 off 46 and RCB were 137-3 with four overs left. Lomror didn’t get a lot of support and ended up doing most of the hitting himself. His two fours off Ishant Sharma, an edge for four off Khaleel, along with Dinesh Karthik’s six helped RCB collect 29 runs from the 17th and 18th overs.

Mukesh then nailed a few yorkers and Khaleel used his cutters to keep RCB to 15 off the last two. Kohli said he thought 181 was a good score during the innings break, but the Capitals ran down the target with ease. (ESPNcricinfo)