Defending Regional U-19 female champions, Guyana, departed home soil on Tuesday last to compete in the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional Under-19 Female Championships. The tournament will be played in the T20 format in the twin island republic of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T).
Cherry Ann Fraser
The 14-member squad arrived in T&T on Tuesday, April 16, and will play their first match against Canada today from 09:30h Eastern Caribbean time, at Gilbert Park. The Canadian team is a guest team in the tournament with no age restrictions barring the players. From 14:30h on the same day, Guyana will meet hosts Trinidad and Tobago at the National Cricket Centre (NCC).
Accompanying the 14-member squad is Head Coach Bharat Mangru and Windies Women’s star Tremayne Smartt will manage the team. The Guyana squad looks a good outfit with the experienced Shabika Gajnabi, who hails from Chesny Village in Berbice, performing duties of a captain.
Lafona Gilgeous
Among the top batters in the team is Mandy Mangru who was one of the five participants for Guyana in the recently concluded senior female tournaments. Fast bowling all-rounder Cherry Ann Fraser, top-order batter Lafona Gilgeous and big hitter Afruica Gentle are the three senior players along with Mangru and Gajnabi in the U-19 squad.
On the second day of the tournament, slated for April 18, Guyana will play Windward Islands from 09:30h followed by the clash with Barbados from 14:30h. On Friday, April 19, the teams will meet for a CWI Development session and Guyana will play Jamaica on Saturday in their final preliminary match from 09:30h.
Following the preliminary matches, the semi-final will be played on Saturday, April 20, from 14:30h; while the grand final is scheduled for Sunday, April 21, at the NCC, followed by the presentation ceremony. Guyana will be among other teams that will depart T&T on Monday, April 22.
In 2018, the tournament that played in Trinidad and Tobago, with Guyana defeating the hosts by seven wickets via the Dukworth Lewis Stern method to win their maiden title.
Outstanding performances in that final match in 2018 came from Mandy Mangru who had 2-8 and scored 34 in her complete game. The Guyanese were tasked to chase a revised target of 86 in 18 overs due to rain at the NCC; which they achieved in 17.2 overs to clinch the title in 2018.
The full Guyana U-19 fourteen-member squad reads: Shabika Gajnabi (captain) Mandy Mangru, Cherry Ann Fraser, Lafona Gilgeous, Afruica Gentle, Lisa Charles, Ashley Ramnauth, Ashmini Munisar, Ameera Adram, Cassie Charles, Sarah Amin, Analesia D’Aguiar, Shemika Edwards and Uma Matadin.
The six teams participating in the T20 tournament include Guyana, Jamaica, Barbados, Windward Islands, Canada and Trinidad and Tobago. (Brandon Corlette)
