Club Set To Play Host DCC And Guyana Police Force In T20s
New York – 18 July 2012 – A strong representative group of cricketers and supporters from Atlantis Cricket Club – NY is headed to Georgetown, Guyana today to participate in the 100th anniversary celebrations of the Demerara Cricket Club in that nation’s capital.

Atlantis Cricket Club pose for a team photo. Photos courtesy of John Aaron.

The Guyana Tour 2012 with a touring party of 32, will see Atlantis playing the Guyana Police Officers at Eve Leary, Georgetown, soon after arriving on Thursday, 19 July, in a T20 warm-up match in preparation for the next day’s T20 match against host DCC at 1:00pm at DCC in Queenstown, Georgetown, followed that evening by a “Cricketers Wear & Costume Affair” at the Edge Lounge in Georgetown.

On Saturday, 21 July, Atlantis will take on a Guyana Police Force XI in a T20 match at Eve Leary, Georgetown, following which, a Black & White Dinner and Ball is planned for the poolside at the Tower Hotel, one of the centenary celebration highlight events.

Sunday, 22 July is hardly a rest day for the visitors from New York as they spend the day at Splashmins Fun Park – a water sport resort just outside the Guyana capital, followed by Karaoke at the DCC pavilion later that evening. On Monday, 23 July, DCC hosts a Guyana Police Force XI at DCC.  In the evening, Atlantis hosts a “By Invitation Only” cocktail event at the DCC pavilion and sponsored by Metallica Commodities Corporation, Guyana, Ltd., a local subsidiary of MCC in the USA, one of Atlantis’ principal sponsors. Tuesday, 24 July is the finals of the triangular Centenary T20 Tournament at DCC, followed by an awards presentation and closing ceremony. However, there appears to be more cricket in the wings still, as a 40-overs match is being planned between Atlantis and hosts DCC at DCC on Wednesday, 25 July.

Atlantis departs for the New York on Thursday, 26 July and back to the 2012 EACA season where they are currently 7-1, and in the second phase of the 40-Overs tournament.

About the Demerara Cricket Club
The Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) was formed in 1912 and throughout the years has produced a number of world class cricketers who have represented Guyana and or the West Indies. DCC players such as Cyril Christiani (Guyana & West Indies), Ernest Christiani (Guyana), Harry Christiani (Guyana), Robert Christiani (Guyana & West Indies), Roy Fredericks (Guyana & West Indies), Lance Gibbs (Guyana & West Indies), Clive Lloyd (Guyana & West Indies), Mark Harper (Guyana), Roger Harper (Guyana & West Indies), and Colin Wiltshire (Guyana), have all excelled at the sport, while the club has also produced excellent cricket administrators in Fred Wills, Esq., and Lennox Hunte (Guyana Cricket Board).

DCC was established as an alternative to the then British-dominated Georgetown Cricket Club, in the early 19th century. Formed by Portuguese businessmen in then British Guiana, DCC’s club membership was open to anyone after the 1st World War and went on to produce the aforementioned famous players, such as the Christiani brothers, Clive Lloyd, Lance Gibbs, and others. More recently younger stars such as Under-19 players Omesh Dhanram and Dino Choo-Wee-Nam, Seniors Christopher Barnwell (Guyana), Totaram Bishun (Guyana Youth), Derwin Christian (Guyana), Travis Dowlin (Guyana & West Indies), and Trevon Griffith, have all blossomed from the hallmark club in Georgetown – the garden city of the Caribbean.

About Atlantis Cricket Club
Atlantis Cricket Club – NY was formed in 1966 and has maintained a cricket presence in the New York metropolitan area throughout the years, particularly in the championship areas while playing as part of the Long Island Cricket League in the 70s and 80s, winning eight consecutive championships, the Metropolitan Cricket League, and more recently the Eastern American Cricket Association (EACA). Atlantis has been the beneficiary of the expatriation of several talented players from DCC, Guyana and the Caribbean, as well as the rest of the cricketing world. Clive Lloyd, Carlyle Miller, Vincent Mayers, Lennox Bouyea, Leslie Lewis, Lloyd Corneilus, Alvin Lloyd, Winston English, Keith Cameron, Sylvester Albert, Cameron Cuffy, Keith Aaron, Stephen Bamfield, William White, Lennox Cush, Reon King, William Perkins, Rodney Sooklal, and a number of other talented cricketers have filled the rosters of Atlantis.

Currently, the New York based club has been fielding a team with an average age of 24, and for the past two years have been led by its youngest skipper ever – 19 year-old Prashant Nair, a left arm offspinner who migrated from India and has since represented the USA at the ICC 2011 Global World Cup Under-19 Qualifiers in Ireland.

In 2001, Atlantis and DCC signed a “Twinning Agreement” to foster better cricketing relations between the two clubs and its members. Atlantis decided to roll the 10th anniversary celebration of the Twinning Agreement into the celebration of DCC’s centennial this year, in Georgetown, Guyana.

Atlantis and Big Apple Cricket Clubs, with the consent of the EACA’s Executive Committee, have agreed to play their EACA fixture scheduled for this weekend at a later date, so as to accommodate Atlantis traveling to Guyana.

The Atlantis squad includes: Prashant Nair (Captain), Nicholas Standford (Vice Captain), Alex Amsterdam, Orison Amsterdam, Ron Andrew, Henderson Blades, Kavishwar Bridgepaul, Hugh Craig, Casper Davis, Jr., Jason Greaves, Aaron Grimmond, Clifford Hamilton, Jermaine Horatio, Shawn Mason, Greg Robinson, Timothy Rodney and Ryan Sukhdeo. Lester Hooper (Manager), Leslie “Tulu” Lewis (Tour Liaison Officer).