Ground preparation important as regional tournament looms

According to Territorial Development Officer (TDO) of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), Colin Stuart, the preparation of grounds is important as Guyana prepares to host the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) females 50 over and T20 Regional tournament.

With just a mere week to go before the tournament bowls off, the GCB is working tirelessly with ground staffs to ensure that grounds reach the required standard to facilitate Regional matches. The tournament will run from July 7 through July 25, with the 50 over segment playing first.

However, due to the current weather condition there are some challenges affecting the preparation. “Due to the current weather pattern the grounds are not fully in shape for the tournament, however, there are efforts being put in place”, according to Stuart.

In addition the former West Indies player said there are also special focuses on the pitches to ensure all are durable for the matches.

The intent is to ensure cricket is played, so the GCB has already derived at alternatives to fit its objective. “We communicate with ground authorities regularly to ensure everything is intact, because cricket must be played. In that case there are already some grounds in place to host matches and others that will be used as back up if necessary”, Stuart informed.

The tournament will be the first in the Region since the West Indies females triumphed at the World T20 earlier this year. It is expected to be very competitive and entertaining, featuring all the players of the World T20 side.