By Sean Devers
Stabroek News
May 18, 2001

President of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Chetram Singh yesterday urged the 14 players who will represent Guyana in the 2001 West Indies women's cricket tournament in St. Vincent to be good ambassadors when he met the players at the GCB Hostel.

The team, coached by Ava Baker, managed by national Under -15 cricket team manager S.K. Singh and captained by multi-talented athlete Diane Ferriera-James, ended their encampment period yesterday.

The team, the first to represent Guyana in a regional female competition in almost two decades, is scheduled to depart Guyana for St. Vincent on Sunday at 1230 p.m.

Singh congratulated those selected and reminded them that it is an honour to represent their country. The GCB boss said that this is an annual competition and encouraged those who did not win selection to keep on working so that they would be in a better position to get into the side next year.

Singh said that while it would be nice to win the competition, participation is more important than winning this year since this team, which has not had the opportunity of proper preparation owing to limited time, has re-opened doors for female cricket in Guyana.

The GCB president said most people in the Caribbean tend to look down on Guyanese and told the ladies that they could be good examples of Guyana by being well-disciplined and committed to the prestigious position of national cricketers.

Singh apologized for the absence of Minister of Youth Culture and Sports Gail Teixeira who could not attend the meeting since she was a part of the welcoming party for world welterweight boxing champion Guyanese Andrew 'Sixhead' Lewis who arrived home yesterday. Singh said the minister would meet the players before they leave Guyana on Sunday.

He said that in addition to the current schoolboys competition, one for girls is also planned. He said he hoped that clubs will also re-introduce female cricket in the near future so that girls who finish school will have somewhere to go to develop their game.

The team includes three players with previous experience at international level in 48- year-old Janet John-Dorie, 44 year-old Joni James and 40-year-old Margaret 'Chico' Walcott, who all played for Guyana in the late 1970's.

Thirteen year-old all-rounder Triholder Marshall is the baby of the team and one of five teenagers in a squad which has 10 players from the East Coast of Demerara, one from West Demerara and three from Georgetown.

The 50 overs a side competition involves seven countries and will be played with white balls, coloured outfits and black sightscreens. All one-day-International regulations will apply.

Gear will also be provided by the GCB who received one million Guyana dollars from the Government to help offset the cost of preparing and outfitting the team.

Guyana will play their first of six preliminary matches on May 22 against St Lucia at the Arnos Vale Test ground.

Three more games will be contested if they advance to the knockout round.

The full Guyana squad: Diane Ferreira-James (captain), Karen Cort (vice captain), Pratibha Ramsukh, Deowantie Persaud, Janet John Dorie, Indomatie Goordial, Triholder Marshall, Renika Issacs, Darline Gayle, Margaret Walcott, Yolander Parker, Joni James, Faye Franklyn and Zaheeda Samdali.