A Select XI of women cricketers from the tiny nation of Belize, along with USA-based players Jyotsna Patel and Idumathi Krishamuthy, will this weekend show up and show off their cricketing prowess in the Georgia Women Cricket Association’s (GWCA) Annual Women’s T20 Cricket Tournament. The tournament will be held on Saturday, May 28, and Sunday, May 29, in Conyers, GA. All matches start at 9:00 am on both days.
Located on the eastern coast of Central America, Belize is a mixture of cultures dating back to the Mayan civilization and influenced by the Spaniards, and European explorers from Britain, with the British defeating the Spaniards in the late 1700s. Therefore, there is no doubt how cricket found its way to the 8,800 sq mile paradise buttressed by the great Belize barrier reef. It is the only Central American country with English as its official language.
With almost 200 villages and a population of less than 500,000, cricket is one of the most popular sports on the island. This Memorial Day Weekend, a Select group of women cricketers, including five women from the Belizean national cricket squad and some American counterparts, will join Johns Creek Panthers led by Sangeeta Singh and the perennial Atlanta Pearls led by Marlene Preville, in the tournament.
The Belizean Royal Strikers, led by Eileen Major, will battle with the other two teams at the Earl O’Neal Sports Complex in Conyers, GA. It is the 9th edition of the annual tournament sanctioned by USA Cricket, the national body for the sport. The annual contest is organized and executed by Petal Samuels, a resident of the Peach State of Georgia.
Eileen Major, who hails from the village of Lemonal in the Belize River Valley area, is excited to be leading the Belizean Royal Strikers to their first GWCA tournament. “I am excited to have the opportunity to socialize with other women cricketers and to learn as much as I can from participating in the tournament.” Said the Belizean skipper.
The touring players are drawn from the villages of Belize and the six active women’s teams in the Central American nation sandwiched between Mexico and Guatemala. The Belizean cricketers’ average age is 30, and the youngest player, Charleece Garbutt, is 16. The Belize women have participated in their nation’s T20 tournament for the past six years. The national team last competed in the Campeonato Internacional De Cricket Femenino in Costa Rica in 2019, capturing the Gold by winning five of its six matches on the neighboring island of Costa Rica, less than 500 miles away.
According to Royal Strikers skipper Eileen Major, the Belize squad headed to Georgia boasts of having a majority of all-rounders. A lot is expected from bowlers Jyotsna Patel, a former India national player, Idumathi Krishamuthy, Yolanda Thompson, Christa Gaydis, and D’Andra McFadzean. Skipper Major will be among the bowlers hunting for wickets.
The Belize Royal Strikers’ batting line-up will include Marsha Will, Arden Stephenson, Eileen Major, and Georgia Joseph. Derick McFadzean will coach the team. Ms. Delda Blades Franklin is a part of the team’s management.
Tournament Director, Petal Samuels, said, “We welcome the Belize Select XI to the 9th Annual GWCA tournament, and we look forward to an exciting round of competitive matches.” She added, “GWCA is committed to providing a platform for women cricketers in the USA, the Caribbean, and the rest of the world. Although our tournament is relatively young, we have garnered tremendous support from the cricket community. Over the years, no less than 15 women participants of the tournament have gone on to represent the USA, and a half-dozen or so West Indies national players and one Zimbabwean national player have participated in the annual women’s tournament.”
Belizean Royal Strikers: Daphne McFadzean, Yolanda Thompson, Georgia Joseph, Marsha Will, Christa Guydis, D’Andra McFadzean, Arden, Stephenson, Charleece Garbutt, Eileen Major (Capt.), Indumathi Krishnamurthy, and Jyotsna Patel.