As the New York cricket season unfolds this year, the women will not be left out as has been the case in the past.
Indomatie Goordial-John. Photo courtesy: ICC/Bryan Vandenberg
Thanks to the Tri State Development Program, the fairer sex will be in the thick of things in two competitions expected to last three months.
The action will kick off this Saturday (May 7) with a 50 overs a side round robin series that will feature the country’s leading players, the great majority from the United States national team.
Given the paucity of competition for women, the two series has attracted players from throughout the country and even Canada.
Indomatie Goordial-John, Candacy Atkins, Triholder Marshall, Shondelle Ward, Nadia Gruny, Monique Mathee, the exciting young India-born batter Shebani Bhaskar and Lorena Vitte are among the big names will be in action while preparing for the Women’s World Cup preliminary competition in Bangladesh.
Mona Patel, captain of the Canada team which ruled the roost in the International cricket Council’s Americas Division, before being toppled by the United States last year, will add international flavor along with India-based Mandhakini Bhaskar, sister of Shebani, who is making her debut in U.S. competition.
They will be coming strong in a powerful Tristate Lynx squad which will present New York Warriors, New Jersey Phoenix and the Combined Team, the other teams in action, a huge challenge to emerge on top in the first ever women’s domestic competition in New York Region.
Shebani Bhaskar and Shondelle Ward.
New York Warriors will be an experienced bunch with the likes of Joan Alexander, Louise Brown, Beverly Brown, Dawantie Persaud, Grace Richards, who represented West Indies Regional teams in the past and also the United States national side.
Former West Indies and current U.S. regular Doris Francis is leading New Jersey Phoenix while the Combined Lineup will feature the newcomers who did not make the cut for last year’s inaugural National competition.
So the stage is set for a season of enthralling action for the girls, all of who will have their eyes set on winning places for the trip to Bangladesh in November.
It will be a clash of young talent against guile and experience as Goordial-John’s all round batting and bowling qualities, Ward’s extreme pace, Shebani Bhaskar’s exquisite batting skills and also those of Mathee, Gruny, Atkins, Marshall, will face up to wiles of Alexander, Brown, Richards, Francis and company.
Tristate Lynx and New York Warriors will get the ball rolling on Saturday at Gateway Park in Brooklyn, in the curtain raiser.
Nadia Gruny
The action will continue next Saturday (May 14) with New Jersey Phoenix and New York Warriors clashing in New Jersey and the action will return to the Big Apple the following Saturday in a showdown between Tri State Lynx and New Jersey Phoenix.
Organized by the Tri State organization, the series will also be used to identify teams for the national championship scheduled for New York, in July or August.
Schedule of game
| HOME TEAM | AWAY TEAM | DATES/VENUE |
| New York Region | Tristate Lynx | Gateway/ May 7th |
| New Jersey Phoenix | New York Region | New Jersey/ May 14th |
| Tristate Lynx | New Jersey Phoenix | New York/ May 21st |
| Tristate Lynx | New York Region | To be announce/ June 4th |
| New York Region | New Jersey Phoenix | To be announce/ June 11th |
| New Jersey Phoenix | Tristate Lynx | To be announce/ June 18th |
Schedule of play
| FIRST SESSION | 11:00 AM – 2:10 PM |
| REFRESHMENT | 12:00 & 1:00 |
| LUNCH | 2:10 PM – 2:55 PM |
| SECOND SESSION | 2:55 PM – 5:55 PM |
| REFRESHMENT | 3:55 & 4:55 |
| CLOSE OF PLAY | 5:55 PM |