The Hand-in-Hand Insurance Company on Wednesday reengaged its commitment with the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) to host their annual Under-19 Inter-County Tournament.
Hand-in-Hand’s Howard Cox hands over the sponsorship cheque to GCB, Secretary Anand Sanasie
The collaborative effort between the two entities is now in its third instalment, and seeks to identify and develop young talent across the country. The one-day and three-day competitions have produced exceptional talents over the years, many of whom were eventually selected for the West Indies Under- 19 squad.
Speaking on behalf of the sponsors, Howard Cox noted that Hand-in-Hand was pleased to collaborate with the GCB and was looking forward to their continued partnership.
“We will continue to give our whole-hearted support to the GCB for this worthy cause,” Cox stated.
He went on to highlight that just two years ago the likes of Shimron Hetmyer and Kemo Paul benefited from the inter-county competition and they were now part of the senior West Indies’ One-day, Test and T20 teams.
Before receiving the cheque on behalf of the GCB, Secretary Anand Sanasie spoke on the viability of the tournament and the importance of exposing players to both the long and short formats of the game. “The GCB would like to thank Hand-in-Hand for their continued support to the development of cricket, clearly Hand-in-Hand’s contribution has given the GCB an opportunity to provide the U-19s with an ideal preparation ground,” Sanasie stated.
The three-day tournament kicks off on April 10 at Everest Cricket Club Ground and will conclude on April 20. The one-day competition runs from April 22 to April 28. The matches will be played at Everest, Lusignan, Tuschen and Georgetown Cricket Club Grounds.
West Indies U-19 players Ashmed Nedd and Joshua Persaud expressed gratitude for the hosting of the tournaments. They explained that the tournament was consistent with youth development and preparation for a larger cricket arena. “I think it’s a bigger stage than at the club level; this is a really good tournament in terms of developing youth players and taking cricket as a career,” Persaud stated.
Meanwhile, Nedd was optimistic about his performance in the tournament this year, stating: “I’m looking to come out as the bowler with the most wickets; last year, I came close, but I was beaten by just one wicket. I’m also hoping to get a few half centuries.”
Demerara, the reigning champions, will defend their title against Berbice, Essequibo and a Select U-17 team. The U-17 team were placed in the competition in order to prepare them for their upcoming regional tournament. The county teams will later make up a National U-19 team who will defend their four-time title.
