Year of women in South East cricket

NEXT cricket season could well be described as the year of the women in the South East Zone of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board. Headed by Azim Bas-sarath, the zone will agressively promote the involvement of women in their competitions in 2005. This was one of the major decisions taken recently. The other is a club development seminar planned for  January 15, next year.

This seminar is timed to begin at 9 am at the Tableland High School, and is in keeping with the zonal council’s push to see proper club structure in place in the zone. Decisions on the women’s competitions and seminar were taken at the zone’s meeting with clubs on Thursday last, when 11 member clubs were in attendance said Bassarath yesterday. The zone will launch the 2005 season on January 22 at Shell Grounds, Rio Claro with an Olympic-style parade of teams in colourful uniforms. And for the first time next season, the zone will put on a women windball tournament. Bassarath said he also plans an Under-16 series with each club in the zone being asked to produce a women’s team.

There will be two matches on the day of the zone’s launch, the first between  women teams, followed by a 20-over per team match between South East zone and South West. The zone is also planning a third division next season and have received numerous applicants said Bassarath. Action in zonal composition begins on January 29 with the Sunday League starting on February 12. Bassarath was given the prize for the “Best Administrator” in the recent annual awards function of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board.