USA Cricketer : indomatie goordial-john

USACA wins, women's cricket loses

openingbat — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:01:00 GMT

Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook. Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket

By Peter Della Penna

“In my opinion countries in this region do not have the depth to select 'B' squads to represent them at this level.”

Those are the words of Martin Vieira, the ICC Americas Regional Development Manager in an email sent to the USACA brain trust last week. Unfortunately, his plea to USACA to sort out a dispute with the women’s squad has fallen on deaf ears. USACA has selected the final 14 players that will represent not just USA but the Associate arm of the Americas Region next month in Bangladesh at the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier. Missing from the list are half of the names that appeared in the original 18-player squad in July.

For anyone who thought that USA’s on-field nadir for 2011 took place in Hong Kong when the men were bowled out by Papua New Guinea for 44 and eventually demoted to Division Four of the World Cricket League, think again. It appears that this year’s worst has been saved for last.

Even by USA cricket standards, the buildup to the women’s squad’s departure for Bangladesh has been nothing short of bizarre. In fact, it would be more accurate to call it a tear down. The decision to axe Linden Fraser from his role as USA Women’s coach was only a harbinger of things to come. A protest led by most of his Tri-State Lynx players to achieve the dual task of getting their coach back into the Bangladesh touring party while getting themselves the same stipend that men’s players receive on tour has backfired in spectacular fashion.

By leaving out Indomatie Goordial-John, Candacy Atkins, Monique Mathee, Karen Bayles, Shinead Emerson, Melissa Sandy, Triholder Marshall and Shondell Ward, USACA is not merely cutting off its nose to spite its face. The national body has initiated a head to toe exercise in self-mutilation.

Image (right) - The Tri-State Lynx squad with coach Linden Fraser. Nine TSL players were in the preliminary USA squad for the 2011 ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier, but only one remains. [Courtesy: Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket]

In addition to winning its battle with many of the women’s players who dared to request equal pay for equal play, USACA has also succeeded by doing its best to scare away future investors and benefactors foolish enough to part with their hard-earned cash. John Warburg and The Apple Pickers Foundation donated $100,000 to USACA this summer, money that was earmarked for the women’s cricket program to help prepare the preliminary 18-player USA squad for the upcoming qualifier in Bangladesh.

$63,000 of that money was spent to send 13 out of the 18 players to Barbados in August for a 10-day training camp. Eight out of the 13 players who went to that camp were omitted from the final 14 who will go to Bangladesh. A simple calculation shows that USACA wasted just under $39,000 on players who they now feel do not deserve to go to Bangladesh. For an organization that prides itself on fiscal irresponsibility, that is a staggering achievement.

In addition to John Warburg, Andy Pick and Wendell Coppin must be absolutely thrilled to have donated their time so needlessly to the USACA cause. The two ICC Americas officers brought loads of experience and coaching acumen to the women’s team while working with them at the camp in Barbados. The majority of the women can now take those skill sets and philosophies they learned and apply them by sitting on their couches up and down the east coast instead of on cricket grounds around Dhaka.

So much talk was made over the past year by women’s players and USACA administrators about how the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier was USA’s best chance to make a splash on the world cricket stage. The team that’s now been selected has a better chance of drowning.

[Views expressed in this article are those of the author.]

USA Cricket: Majority of USA Women's squad writes USACA to protest inadequate stipend for World Cup Qualifier

openingbat — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 01:41:00 GMT

Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook. Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket

By Peter Della Penna

Another dark cloud is casting a shadow over USACA this week as 13 players from the preliminary squad of 18 for the 2011 ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier next month in Bangladesh have written an email to protest what they feel is unfair treatment over their proposed tour stipend for Bangladesh. The major issue outlined in an October 5 email written to the USACA board and obtained from a source is that men’s players receive as much as $175 per day as a tour stipend while the women are only being offered $100 per day for their time in Bangladesh. If the players do not agree to the $100 per day figure, their final camp scheduled for October 14-16 is in danger of being canceled. USACA is also threatening to replace the women with other players if they do not comply.

Among the names who have signed the email are leading players Candacy Atkins, Joan Alexander and 2011 USACA Women’s Tournament MVP Doris Francis as well as the only two American-born players in the squad, Erica Rendler and Shebani Bhaskar. There are 15 women in total who signed their names to the email, 13 in the original 18-player list announced by USACA in July and two other women who were not: Delkash Shahriarian and Geetha Reddy. The only big name who did not sign the email is Indomatie Goordial-John.

Image (right) - Doris Francis is one of 15 players unhappy with the amount of financial support being given to the USA Women's team. [Courtesy: Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket]

“Fifteen of the 18 USA Women players would like to bring to your attention the unjust and inadequate stipend of $100 per diem being offered to each player for the upcoming Bangladesh Tour and subsequently the threat of not having the final training camp,” the email begins. “For last July's tour to Canada, we were given roughly 30% more to play Canada in the 3-match series, in which we defeated Canada 3-0 to win our spot in the Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier and represent the ICC Americas. We were also given a promise of a bonus which has yet to be fulfilled.”

“Now, we are one tournament away from the Women's Cricket World Cup; and we are being offered less. We will be playing alongside top-ranked nations such as South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka etc. With all due respect, we are thrilled at representing the USA at this prestigious tournament and looking forward to achieving the goal of going to India; but we are feeling very much under-appreciated, disrespected, and simply disregarded for the achievements we have made thus far in our short history and underestimated, for what we can accomplish in Bangladesh.”

“Why isn't the 3-category compensation system used by the men being employed for the women?” the women’s email continues. “We do recognize that sports administrators world-wide have not caught up fully with equal pay for female and male athletes but: is a 43% ($175 for men) disparity between our stipends adequate given that our stipends are not driven by ticket sales? Is it adequate given that the men played division 3 (and now division 4) cricket and the women are playing for a World Cup spot yet the men still receive $175? Is it adequate given that we received more to play an ICC Americas competition in our backyard against a single team, three times?”

According to USACA Cricket Committee Chairman Krish Prasad, men’s national team players receive a stipend based on a three-tier system. Players who are playing in their first tournament for USA get $105 per day. Players who have previous senior team experience get $135 per day and players who have played in 75% of the senior team matches over a designated time period prior to the tournament for which they are being selected get $150 per day. However, at least one source claims that the three-tier payment structure was $125, $150 and $175. The last figure is what women’s players quoted as a comparative figure in their email. Men’s players also received a separate fee of anywhere between $100-200 extra to cover incidental expenses related to travel such as airline baggage fees for transporting cricket kit.

As part of an October 5 email in response to the women, USACA General Manager Manaf Mohamed claims that the $100 per day stipend was calculated in part based on the projected daily costs for expenses in Bangladesh and says that there is not enough historical evidence to grade women’s players according to a three-tier system like the men are.

“All players are being offered the same stipend as there is not enough of a history on USA Women's International cricket to grade players in terms of team seniority,” wrote Mohamed. “The stipend also took into consideration availability of funds and resonable [sic] expenses one may expect in Bangladesh.”

Prasad says that the men’s players received the same payment regardless of how expensive daily costs were in a touring destination, i.e. players on a tour of Nepal received the same per-day stipend rate as players on a tour of Bermuda, relative to their respective tier. He feels that the women are not being treated fairly and says that he has no idea who proposed the figure of $100 per day for the women since he’s been kept out of recent discussions pertaining to cricket related matters even though he is the chairman of the Cricket Committee.

“I think the women should be treated the same way as the men because they also have commitments and expenses and we should treat them the same way,” said Prasad on Sunday. “We never take advantage of the exchange rate or the cost of living per se. We were always dealing with a limited amount of resources but we’re always trying to do the best for the players.”

Prasad says that the 10-day women’s camp to Barbados in August cost roughly $63,000 meaning there should be $37,000 left from the $100,000 Apple Pickers Foundation grant earmarked for women’s cricket. Prasad says the remaining money should have been enough to hold a camp next weekend in Florida and also cover expenses for the first week in Bangladesh prior to the start of the qualifier. USA is due to leave for Bangladesh on November 5 with their first match taking place against South Africa on November 15.

Mohamed wrote though that he would not make arrangements for this weekend’s camp, including buying plane tickets, for any of the players in the squad until they agreed to the $100 per day stipend for Bangladesh. The longer the players hold out, the more expensive plane tickets will become. USACA must submit a final 14-player list for the qualifier to the ICC by October 15th and this weekend’s camp was intended as a final selection trial. If the stalemate between the players and USACA continues, the camp will most likely be canceled and alternate second-string players would be found to go to Bangladesh.

“USACA has an obligation and committment [sic] to participate in the ICC tournament, and if need be, will explore alternative arrangements to meet and honor its commitment,” wrote Mohamed. “Hopefully, that will not be necessary.” The women hope they will find support in the matter but time may be running out.

“Gentlemen, if you, the leaders and voices of men's, women's, and youth cricket of this country, do not believe in us; do not value our contributions and sacrifices being made to be successful,” wrote the women, “why should we play to win? As you know, females in the USA do not have established leagues but some of us play in men's leagues to meet that shortcoming. Some guys have the luxury of playing for various clubs across the country by virtue of clubs paying their expenses while some of us females pay out of pocket to travel cross-country to play matches and sometimes just to practice. Some of us are so committed to this cause and representing this country that we pay out of pocket for gym memberships, indoor cricket facilities rental, drive hundreds of miles to practice - expenses that we otherwise would not undertake. We do not expect to get reimbursement for these expenses though any national program would cover such; but we do expect that we have your 100% support when we step out of this country, wearing the USACA logo.”

The 15 women who have signed their name to the email protesting inadequate stipend payments for the tour to Bangladesh for the 2011 ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier:
Candacy Atkins
Joan Alexander
Doris Francis
Nadia Gruny
Triholder Marshall
Shondell Ward
Monique Mathee
Erica Rendler
Shebani Bhaskar
Melissa Sandy
Karen Bayles
Samantha Ramautar
Anahita Arora
Delkash Shahriarian
Geetha Reddy

USA Cricket: Tri-State Lynx finish in first; Doris Francis named 2011 USACA Women's Tournament MVP

openingbat — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 19:19:00 GMT

Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook. Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket

By Peter Della Penna

The final day of the 2011 USACA Women’s Tournament was washed out on Sunday July 3. As a result, Tri-State Lynx were crowned champions based on net run rate, beating out North West Phoenix with both teams even at 2-0. New York Warriors finished third and Hollywood Rebels fourth at 1-1. North West Rockstars wound up fifth and the USACA Developmental Squad last with 0-2 records.

At the post-tournament presentation ceremony, Phoenix captain Doris Francis took home both the Best Bowler Award and Tournament MVP. Francis was tied with four other bowlers in the event with six wickets, but turned in the best individual statistical performance of the weekend by taking 5 for 21 against Rockstars. Francis also scored a vital unbeaten century in a three-wicket win over the Warriors.

Image (right) - Doris Francis accepts the Tournament MVP Award from USACA board member Krish Prasad. [Courtesy: Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket]

Indomatie Goordial-John received the Best Batsman Award after finishing first with 152 runs. She retired in both innings she played after reaching scores of 102 and 50.

All teams were informed at the banquet that a group of 18 players will be selected to take part in a weekend camp at the end of this month. From that, 14 will be invited to a training camp in Barbados from August 6-16. USACA intends to then have at least one more camp before a final squad of 14 is selected to go to Bangladesh in November for the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier.

The funding for camps being used to prepare the USA Women’s team has been made possible through a $100,000 grant from businessman John Warburg through The Apple Pickers Foundation.

Tournament Scorecards
Tri-State Lynx vs. North West Rockstars
North West Phoenix vs. New York Warriors
Hollywood Rebels vs. USACA Developmental Squad
Tri-State Lynx vs. Hollywood Rebels
North West Phoenix vs. North West Rockstars
New York Warriors vs. USACA Developmental Squad

USA Cricket: Gruny scores century as Lynx maul opposition for second day in a row at 2011 USACA Women's Championship

openingbat — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 13:39:00 GMT

Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook. Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket

By Peter Della Penna in Queens, New York

Tri-State Lynx player Nadia Gruny scored the fourth century of the tournament on Saturday morning, notching 110 off 65 balls, as the Lynx annihilated the Hollywood Rebels by 509 runs at Idlewild Park in Queens, N.Y., on the second day of the 2011 USACA Women’s Championship. North West Phoenix also made it two for two with a 77-run win over North West Rockstars at Baisley Pond while New York Warriors won by nine wickets over the USACA Developmental Squad at Gateway Park.

Tri-State won the toss and elected to bat on a sunny morning in Queens. The Rebels task against the tournament’s best trained team was made even tougher due to the fact that they had only nine players to field. Monique Mathee and Karen Bayles set the tone for the day by putting on 82 runs for the first wicket in only seven overs.

Mathee fell first for 41, edging off-spinner Ivy Mahabir behind to the keeper Veronica Gumbs. Gruny came to the crease and added 42 with Bayles before the opener was caught behind trying to heave Sandra Ibarra over square leg but the ball popped up off her glove to Gumbs for a simple catch. However, the score was 150 for 2 at the first drinks break and there was no sign of things letting up.

Gruny and Melissa Sandy put on 169 runs for the fourth wicket as things went from bad to worse for the Rebels. The bowling unit struggled mightily, giving away 87 wides as part of 93 extras. On the rare occasions when they managed to bowl a proper line, the ball was usually either a half-tracker or a full toss and the Lynx batting order showed no mercy.

With all the extra deliveries that the Rebels were forced to bowl on the day, as well as the frequent trips to the boundary to retrieve the ball after it had been dispatched, the over rate was so slow that lunch was taken after 38 overs in the first innings at which point Tri-State had already crossed 400. The first 50 overs wound up taking nearly four and a half hours.

Sandy finished with 79 while Indomatie Goordial-John came in at number eight and scored 50 off 24 balls before retiring. Triholder Marshall scored 41 not out off 40 balls at number seven while Shinead Emerson reached 43 not out off 20 balls at number nine. The Lynx scored 65 boundaries spread amongst the nine players that batted. Gruny had the most with 14 and also hit the tournament’s first six as Tri-State finished at 552 for 7. Three bowlers for the Rebels conceded over 100 runs apiece. Mahabir had the best figures for Rebels with 3 for 61 in 10 overs.

Image (above) - The 2011 Tri-State Lynx with head coach Linden Fraser. [Courtesy: Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket]

The Lynx then bowled out the Rebels for 43 in 17.2 overs. Gumbs scored 14 and Rupal van Sweeden 11 for Rebels, the only two players to cross into double-figures. Emerson, Gruny, Goordial-John and Shondell Ward each had two wickets. The win moved the Lynx to 2-0 on the weekend while Rebels dropped to 1-1.

At Baisley Pond, Delkash Shahriarian scored 58 off 86 balls to propel Phoenix to an insurmountable lead, keeping her team undefeated as the Rockstars suffered their second defeat in two days. Phoenix won the toss and batted first, racking up 185 in 41.1 overs. Claudine Beckford chipped in with 25 at the top of the order while Doris Francis scored a quick 20 at number seven. Neha Sukhija bowled an impressive spell of medium pace for Rockstars to finish with 4 for 22 in 10 overs, claiming both Francis and Shahriarian along the way. Fellow opening bowler Erica Rendler took 3 for 50.

The Rockstars chase never got underway as captain Rajashree Mahale fell in the first over to Anahita Arora for a duck. Francis claimed Mahale’s opening partner Durga Das for 13 as well as first drop Nusrat Khan for 17. Beckford bowled a tidy spell to knock out the middle order, finishing with 3 for 37, before Francis wiped out the tail to take 5 for 21 only a day after scoring a century as Rockstars were bowled out for 108 in 27.1 overs.

In the match at Gateway Park, USACA Developmental Squad was no match for the New York Warriors. After winning the toss, USACA Developmental Squad batted first and crashed for 28 in 12.2 overs as 10 extras were the innings top score. Spin bowler Brenda Cordner took three wickets for no runs in 1.2 overs. New York then knocked off the runs in 4.2 overs for the loss of one wicket. New York is now 1-1 while the USACA Developmental Squad is 0-2.

Sunday’s fixtures are in doubt with heavy rain coming down in Queens in the early part of the day and more expected in the afternoon. The day’s featured match is scheduled to be the Lynx and Warriors at Idlewild. Rockstars are due to play Rebels while Phoenix are paired up with the USACA Developmental Squad.

USA Cricket: Three centuries highlight play on Day 1 of USACA Women's Championship

openingbat — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 14:15:00 GMT

Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook. Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket

By Peter Della Penna in Queens, New York

North West Phoenix captain Doris Francis scored an unbeaten century to rescue her side from early trouble, guiding them to a three-wicket win over New York Warriors at Idlewild Park in Queens, N.Y., on Friday afternoon at the USACA Women’s Championship. In the other matches on day one, Hollywood Rebels easily defeated the USACA Developmental squad while Indomatie Goordial-John and Candacy Atkins scored centuries to lead Tri-State Lynx to a resounding win over North West Rockstars.

Warriors won the toss and elected to bat on a hot sunny morning and got off to a brilliant start, scoring at better than eight per over in the first 20. Shirley Bonaparte and Joan Alexander scored half-centuries for Warriors, but Bonaparte started to flag towards the end of her knock getting tired between the wickets and wound up being run out for 51 to make the score 169 for 3 in the 21st over, ending a 128-run third wicket partnership.

Alexander followed soon after, pulling a long hop from off-spinner Claudine Beckford straight to Marlene Subhashini at midwicket for 61 and from there Warriors collapsed to be all out for 214 in 33.5 overs. Beckford finished with 3 for 43 in eight overs to lead the way for Phoenix.

The failure to bat out their overs proved quite costly for the Warriors in the end. The Warriors put on early pressure in the field, just as they had when batting as Alexander and Catherine Joy Jones bowled superb spells with the new ball. Jones took 2 for 27 in her first seven overs while Alexander was generating plenty of away swing to trouble the top order, trapping opener Delkash Shahriarian LBW before clean bowling Beulah Pidakala and Subhashini to leave Phoenix in a massive hole at 30 for 5 after the first ball of the 12th over.

Francis, who came in at number six, was then joined at the crease by Anahita Arora and the two calmly saw off the rest of Alexander’s opening spell before rebuilding the innings in stunning fashion. Francis punished anything short from Samantha Ramautar and Grace Richards while Arora nudged and knocked the ball around for ones and twos. The pair added 100 for the sixth wicket before Arora was run out for 30 setting off for a single to the off side that Francis showed no interest in.

Another wicket fell 15 runs later, Petula Felicien fell for 1 to give Alexander her fourth scalp and that’s when Francis started to assert herself, coming down the track to the spinners at every opportunity to clip through the on side while taking singles off the last ball of the over to keep strike. Francis survived a sharp caught and bowled chance on 65, but cruised to her century afterwards off 101 balls. With victory in sight, she also was let off on a missed stumping attempt on 109. She stayed to the end however, walking off 115 not out with 11 fours. The winning run was brought up by a leg side wide.

Image (right): Doris Francis walks off unbeaten on 115 for the North West Phoenix. [Courtesy - Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket]

At Gateway Park in Brooklyn, Indomatie Goordial-John and Candacy Atkins both scored centuries for Tri-State Lynx as they defeated North West Rockstars by 202 runs. Both players retired out shortly after crossing 100. Goordial-John then took 3 for 19 in seven overs to lead the way for the Lynx in the field.

At Baisley Pond, Hollywood Rebels defeated the USACA Developmental XI by seven wickets. USACA Developmental XI was bowled out for 95. The Rebels reached the target in 13.5 overs as Veronica Gumbs top scored with 24 not out in the brief chase.

2010 Radiant Info USA Cricket Awards: Women's Cricketer of the Year - Indomatie Goordial-John

openingbat — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 14:05:00 GMT

Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook. Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket

By Peter Della Penna

DreamCricket.com is wrapping up the year in United States Cricket by recognizing USA’s standout performers at the international level. The 2010 Radiant Info Women’s Cricketer of the Year is Indomatie Goordial-John.

Women’s cricket is fairly new to the American cricket landscape, but in just two years, USA has managed to establish itself as a dominant presence within the Americas Region. Indomatie Goordial-John was a major part of that dominance in 2010.

Goordial-John was the tournament MVP for her title-winning North East team at the USACA Women’s National Tournament last June in Cupertino, Calif. She was the leading scorer at the event, which included a top score of 75 against the Western Chargers.

She represented USA against Canada in Toronto in a three-match 50-over series to determine who would go on to represent the Americas Region at the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Bangladesh next November. Goordial-John was the leading scorer in the series with 119 runs, including a top score of 83, to lead USA to a sweep over Canada and clinch a spot at the Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Bangladesh.

Goordial-John also created suffocating pressure in the field with her off-spin. She took 2 for 37 in 22 overs during the three matches, never giving the opposition room to breathe. The player-coach just about did it all for the national team.

In recognition of her achievement, Goordial-John will receive a plaque as well as a $250 gift certificate sponsored by the New Inning Foundation, DreamCricket.com and Radiant Info. [Pic Courtesy: ICC - Bryan Vandenberg]

About the Radiant Info USA Cricket Awards

Goordial-John spearheads USA to 112-run win over Canada

openingbat — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:58:00 GMT

Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook. Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket

By Peter Della Penna

Player-coach Indomatie Goordial-John top-scored with 83 in USA’s total of 226 for 7 before capping off her day with a stifling spell of off-spin to take 1 for 7 in 8.2 overs as USA defeated Canada by 112 runs at Maple Leaf CC in King City, Ontario, on day one of the ICC Americas Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier.

Pic (Right): Goordial-John was named Player of the Match [File photo]

Canada won the toss and elected to field first. Left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman Monique Mathee opened the batting for USA along with captain Durga Das. The two put 29 runs on the board before Mathee was dismissed in the eighth over by Saniyah Zia for 5.

That set the stage for Goordial-John to come in at number three and take away the match from Canada. The captain and player-coach teamed up to add 91 runs for the second wicket with Das bringing up her half-century along the way. Das fell for 53 in 91 balls with seven fours and the platform was set for USA to keep the pressure on Canada.

Goordial-John delivered the goods for USA as she struck six boundaries in her knock which ate up 118 deliveries in just over two and a half hours at the crease. She finally fell in the 47th over to Mahwish Khan, but the damage had been done as USA was sitting pretty at 205 for 6. They managed to tack on another 21 runs before the innings was finished and it proved to be more than enough to defend.

Shondell Ward ripped apart the Canadian top order, claiming the first four wickets of the chase to leave Canada reeling at 12 for 4 in the sixth over. Among the four was the vital scalp of captain Mona Persaud, who was caught behind for a second-ball duck.

The next three wickets fell courtesy of run outs. Mikaela Turik and Suthershini Sivanantham attempted to lead a recovery, posting 43 runs for the fifth wicket in the biggest partnership of the innings for Canada. Suthershini was run out for 13 in the 17th over and Turik for a top-score of 40 in the 25th over to tilt the match back in USA’s favor.

Ward got her fifth by clean bowling the number eight Khan for 10 to make it 113 for 9 in the 36th before the match ended one over later when Helene Gaffney was run out for 12 as Canada finished all out for 114 in 37.2 overs. Ward finished with 5 for 20 in six overs.

USA has a chance to clinch a spot in next year’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Bangladesh if they can beat Canada in their second 50-over clash on Wednesday. Canada must win on Wednesday to have any chance of advancing to Bangladesh or else Friday’s match between the two sides will be a dead rubber.

Tournament overview - Cricket, Women's Style

openingbat — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:57:00 GMT

By Daun Jacobsen

June 4, 5 and 6 saw three days of beautiful weather and enthusiastic women as the 2010 USA National Women's Cricket Tournament took place at the Cupertino Library ground in California.

Pic (Right): Indomatie Goordial-John, Tournament MVP

Five teams of female players from around the country converged in the San Francisco bay area to compete for the National Championship. They represented many walks of life from the east, central and west parts of the USA. And they ranged in age from high schoolers to grandmothers! But all had one common goal - to play the best cricket they could.

Each team played two matches over the three days. The North East team stood out and took the top honors. But the other four teams had respectable showings and it came down to net run rate for determining the Runners-Up. This went to the local team, Western Firebirds as they held off the New York team for just enough overs to pass them in the ratings.

"This was a fantastic tournament for the USA Cricket Association as we hosted some great players who showed us their best. From this pool of women, we are selecting the players who will represent the USA in Canada next month during the ICC Americas World Cup Qualifier Tournament" states Raj Padhi who is the USACA Director for the Western Region. "We couldn't have asked for a better time with these ladies really going at it, showing us they can be fierce competitors while, at the same time, forming great friendships across team boundaries."

Out of the 60 plus players, Indomatie Goordial-John of the North East team stood out with her heavy hitting, especially in the first match. Racking up 95 runs as well as taking one wicket during that match against the Western Chargers, her effort was the base for a 281 score in their 40 overs which the Chargers could not overcome in the second inning.

Doris Francis of the New York team was one of the outstanding bowlers who gave only 10 runs in 8 overs while taking 3 wickets in the match against the Western Firebirds. During the match with the Western Chargers, Gul Imran from the Atlantic team also showed great bowling capabilities by not only grabbing 2 wickets in 8 overs with only 10 runs given but also taking catches to get 3 batters out. And in fielding, Erica Rendler of the Western Firebirds showed off her softball background, moving fast on the outfield, collecting the balls cleanly and throwing them back in a flash.

The women were definitely fired up and are excited to see who among them will be selected to be part of Team USA. Those top players will travel to Canada for that ICC Qualifier tournament which starts July 12. And all are looking forward to future tournaments in the USA. "I am looking forward to be back next year to participate in your forthcoming tournaments" states Ivy Mahabir, captain of the Atlantic team.

As women around the country see this kind of action in the USA, it is bound to encourage more to participate. So next year's tournament will very likely see more teams participating and more enthusiastic play.

Here is a summary of this tournament's results:

Five teams participated: Atlantic, New York, North East, Western Chargers, Western Firebirds

Player of the Match Awards - one for each of the five matches:
     Match 1 - Indomatie Goordial-John, North East (75 runs; 1 wicket)
     Match 2 - Durga Das, Western Firebirds (29 runs)
     Match 3 - Shondell Ward, North East (8 overs for 8 runs)
     Match 4 - Doris Francis, New York (8 run; 3 wickets, 10 runs in 8 overs)
     Match 5 - Gul Imran, Atlantic (11 Not out; 3 catches; 2 wickets, 10 runs in 8 overs)

Best Fielder of the Tournament: Erica Rendler, Firebirds
Best Wicket Keeper of the Tournament: Catherine Crowe, New York
Best Bowler of the Tournament: Beulah Pidakala, Atlantic
Best Batter of the Tournament: Indomatie Goordial-John, North East
Most Valuable Player of the Tournament: Indomatie Goordial-John, North East

Champions: North East
Runners-up: Western Firebirds
Third place: New York
Fourth place: Atlantic
Fifth place: Western Chargers

USA Cricket - 2010 Women's National Tournament: North East Region are champions

openingbat — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:52:00 GMT

Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook. Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket

USA Cricket – 2010 Women’s National Tournament

Northern Belles Ring Loud Out West
By John L. Aaron

In a bright golden sunny northern California valley last weekend, the North East region’s women’s cricket team shone brighter than its competition in so many ways, it was hardly a surprise that the squad emerged USA Cricket’s 2010 national women’s champions.

Led by all-rounder Candacy Atkins, the bevy of belles convincingly defeated their near-east neighbor New York by six wickets, one day after annihilating a Seattle Chargers XI by a massive 229 runs. The victories all but ensured the North East XI the championship hardware, long before the tournament concluded on Sunday in the heart of Silicon Valley in Cupertino, California.

Following a modest, but very impressive opening ceremony at the Cupertino Civic Center’s Library ground - where three weeks earlier a turf wicket had been installed, some 60 plus ladies all decked out in colorful uniforms, saw the 2010 USA National Women’s Cricket Tournament get underway. With Cupertino Mayor Kris Wang and Vice Mayor Gilbert Wong in attendance, as well as the county officials of several neighboring municipalities, the participating teams assembled and were led into demarcated areas by very young girls each displaying a placard with the names of the participating teams – Atlantic Region Warriors, North East Region, Western Chargers, and the Western Firebirds, the latter two teams representing the West Region. The New York team arrived later in the afternoon. Once the opening festivities were over, it was time to get down to the business at hand. Five teams, three days, five matches – One national championship.

North East vs. West Region Chargers

Winning the toss and electing to take first strike at the Cupertino Library ground, the North East team quickly began demolishing the bowling attack of the West Region Chargers by establishing solid partnerships and racing to 282 all out in 37.2 overs, which unfortunately included some 102 extras.

Pic (Right): Indomatie Goordial-John was player of the match in the first match [File photo of Ms. Goordial-John receiving the same award in 2009]

The newly laid batting strip was playing very low and was not expected to yield many runs. However, the batting of vice-captain Indomatie-Goordial John delighted those in attendance at the picturesque square, as she pulled and cut, displaying tremendous poise for her diminutive frame. Goordial-John’s entertaining knock of 75 would later earn her the Player-of-the-Match award. She was ably supported by wicket-keeper Monique Mathee, 45, and skipper Candacy Atkins, 23. The West Region Chargers’ Rohini Prabhune, Keerthana Kanagaraj and Sangita Jayaraman, each snared two wickets apiece and were the best among the eight bowlers used by the Chargers.

With each team required to play two matches and the championship being decided on most wins or a net run-rate, the North East was taking no chances, as they piled on the runs against an inexperienced Chargers XI. Credit must however be given to the Charges who collectively displayed a heart of gold in their gallant effort.

The North East wickets fell at 1-70, 2-100, 3-105, 4-188, 5-219, 6-260, 7-263, 8-264, 9-268 and 10-281.

In reply, the Chargers were unable to compete with the bowling attack of the North East, with a second-wicket partnership of 25, being their most charging of efforts, as 15-year old Shebani Bhaskar and Nadia Gruny captured the first three wickets, and the rest of the Chargers crumbled with zeros or single digits. Meghana Paranjape, 13 and skipper Yogita Manghnani, 12, and Extras 23, made a gallant effort to mount a charge at the imposing 281 North East total.

Bowling for the North East: Skipper Atkins 6.3-2-6-3, Nadia Gruny 2-0-6-2 and Bhaskar 3-0-18-2 were the pick of the bowlers. Triholder Marshall and Goordial-John each grabbed one wicket apiece, as the Chargers wickets fell at 1-0, 2-26, 3-27, 4-36, 5-41, 6-42, 7-48, 8-52, 9-52 and 10-52.

North East vs. New York

In a much-anticipated match-up of the tournament, the New York Region won the toss and elected to bat against a North East XI coming off of a 230-run victory against the Western Chargers at the Dilworth Elementary School ground, in San Jose.

New York was all out for 107 in 36.5 overs. Catherine Joy Jones, 21 and Louise Jackson, 20 were the only players to reach double-digits, along with Extras 38, as bad running between the wickets caused New York some crucial partnerships. Jones batting at eight was very aggressive in taking the fight to the North East as she participated in a gallant 48-run partnership, before falling a victim caught behind by wicket-keeper Monique Mathee off the bowling of Nadia Gruny, with the score at 103. It was too little, too late.

The New York wickets fell at 1-8 (Doris Francis), 2-8 (Beverly Browne), 3-23 (Joan Serrano), 4-39 (Catherine Crowe), 5-46 (Reneasha Richards), 6-55 (Louise Jackson), 7-55 (Donna Glasgow), 8-103 (Catherine Jones), 9-103 (Grace Richards), and 10-107 (Olga Charles).

Bowling for the North East: Indomatie Goordial-John with figures of 8-2-12-3 was the pick of the bowlers. However pacer Shondell Ward was impressive with 8-3-8-0. While Carlene Edwards, Nadia Gruny, Karen Bayles, and Triholder Marshall each snared one wicket apiece.

In response, the North East XI reached 108 off 35 overs and lost four wickets along the way, as they doggedly focused on completing their second win of the tournament, despite losing the opening pair of Mathee and Bhaskar with zero runs on the board.

It was Elizabeth Vitte, 16 and Goordial-John, 35 not out, who together put on a responsible 52-run fourth-wicket partnership. Skipper Atkins, 11 and Nadia Gruny, 7, along with 39 extras, ensured the win.

Bowling for New York: Catherine Jones was the most impressive with figures of 8-1-15-3. Joan Serrano bowled 8-1-27-1. Doris Francis was unfortunate with 8-0-16-0, as New York lacked the penetration needed after the initial North East opening pair collapse.

The North East’s Shondell Ward was awarded the Player-of-the-Match for her controlled bowling spell of 8-3-8-0 which kept New York pinned down, at a time when the explosive and experienced New York batters appeared ready to fire. Ward, like New York’s Doris Francis bowled their hearts out without capturing any wickets.

New York vs. West Region Firebirds

New York would later bounce back to defeat the West Region Firebirds by five wickets on the final day of the tournament. The Firebirds won the toss and took to the crease, falling for 73 all out in 32 overs. Top scorers were Durga Das and cricket newcomer Erika Rendeler, each with 10 runs apiece, as the New York bowlers, with the exception of Jones 6-1-22-0, ran through the Firebirds batting line-up recording four ducks along the way, but conceding 35 extras to the Firebirds’ modest total of 73.

The Firebirds wickets fell at: 1-28, 2-33, 3-34, 4-45, 5-46, 6-64, 7-67, 8-71, 9-73 and 10-73. Bowling for New York: Doris Francis 8-3-10-3, Joan Serrano 7-1-9-3; Grace Edwards 8-0-27-2 and Brenda Cordner 2-1-5-2, recorded the scalps.

New York in reply reached the target of 74 at the 27th over, assisted by 27 extras. Skipper Beverly Brown, 24 was the top scorer and was adjudged Player-of-the-Match, as New York lost only five wickets along the way.

The New York wickets fell at: 1-10 (Joan Serrano), 2-15 (Doris Francis), 3-16 (Catherine Jones), 4-49 (Grace Richards), and 5-70 (Louise Jackson). The wickets were shared one each, by four of the six bowlers employed by the Firebirds.

The New York victory was not enough to earn them a second-place finish, mainly because they were not able to dismiss the Firebirds in five fewer overs. However, they did finish ahead of the Atlantic Region Warriors and the West Region Chargers, in the USA Cricket’s second national women’s tournament. The West Region Firebirds would go on to finish in second-place on the basis of a better net run-rate, behind the North East region team.

West Region Firebirds vs. Atlantic Region Warriors

Winning the toss and opting to take first strike, the Warriors attempt was a bold move to soften the impact of playing with only nine players, following the suspension of two of its players by the regional administration, for on-tour indiscretions.

Pic (Right): The West Region Firebirds finished runners-up overall [Courtesy: Suganya Jayaraman]

Wicket-keeper Pauline Williams, 22 and opener Anju Malik, 14, along with Extras, 28 were the double-digiters, as the Atlantic Warriors posted 87 for 8 in 21.2 overs. Unfortunately the last two batswomen Bushra Imran and Gulrukh Imran, both retired hurt without contributing to the team’s total.

Erika Rendler was the Firebirds’ best bowler capturing 2 for 10 off 2 overs.

Firebirds in response raced to 91 for 4 in 19 overs, as Durga Das, 32 and Malathi Joseph, 21, along with 32 extras, helped the West Region Firebirds to the victory.

The Firebirds wickets fell at: 1-14 (Ritu Bhargava), 2-82 (Durga Das), 3-85 (Erika Rendler), and 4-85 (Malathi Joseph). Sahar Azmat was the Atlantic region’s best bowler with figures of 4-0-15-2, while Beulah Pidakala with 2-0-3-1, and skipper Ivy Mahabir, 4-0-11-1, were responsible for the other two Firebirds wickets.

The Western Firebirds’ Durga Das was awarded Player-of-the-Match.

Atlantic Region Warriors vs. West Region Chargers

The Atlantic Warriors in an effort to come away with at least one victory from the tournament, was determined to defeat the Chargers, and they did so handsomely by a convincing 8-wicket margin.

Winning the toss and offering first strike to the Chargers, the Warriors with an injured Timika Kowlessar sidelined, sought to penetrate the Chargers’ batting line-up early. However, the Western Chargers rallied to score 143 for 9 in their 40 overs, aided by a contribution of 79 extras from the Warriors.

Top scorers for the Chargers were Sangita Jayaraman, 19 and skipper Yogita Manghnani, 17, as the Chargers wickets fell at 1-17 (Heta Dave), 2-31 (Rohini Prabhune), 3-35 (Yogita Manghnani), 4-87 (Meghana Paranjape), 5-89 (Rohini Prabhune), 6-93 (Deepa Mahalingam), 7-105 (Sangita Jayaraman), 8-112, (Sangeeta Mudnal), and 9-143 (Shwetha Kayathi).

Bowling for Atlantic Region Beulah Pidakala 8-0-35-3, Gulrukh Imran 8-4-10-2, Anju Malik 8-1-25-2, and Sahar Azmat 8-1-20-1 were the wicket-takers.

The Atlantic Warriors responded with a steadfast passion reaching 147 in 33.3 overs and losing only its opening pair of Martha Randoo, 16, and Anju Malik, 14, along the way, as wicket-keeper Pauline Williams, 28 not out, and Gulrukh Imran, 11, aided by 78 extras, saw the Atlantic Warriors regain some pride, following an inglorious start in the tournament, with player personnel issues. Rohini Prabhune and Yogita Manghnani captured the two wickets.

The Atlantic Region’s Gulrukh Imran was named Player-of-the-Match.

Last year the women's tournament was conducted between an Eastern Conference XI and a Western Conference XI, with the Eastern Conference emerging champions. It is hoped that next year the tournament would attract a representative XI from each of USA Cricket's seven regions.

Tournament Awards

Champions: North East Region
Runners-up: West Region Firebirds
Third Place: New York Region
Fourth Place: Atlantic Region Warriors
Fifth Place: West Region Chargers

Individual Awards

MVP: Indomatie Goordial-John (North East Region)
Best Batswoman: Indomatie Goordial-John (North East Region)
Best Bowler: Beulah Pidakala (Atlantic Region)
Best Fielder: Erika Rendler (West Region Firebirds)
Best Wicket-keeper: Catherine Crowe (New York Region)