Saturday, October 1, 2016 will be a very historic day for the State of Connecticut. In honor of the Cricket Hall of Fame’s 35th anniversary, the day will be declared “Cricket Hall of Fame’s Day” in the city of Hartford by Mayor Luke Bronin and “Cricket Hall of Fame’s Day in the State of Connecticut” by Governor Dannell Malloy. The newly elected Mayor of Bloomfield, Connecticut, Joan Gamble will also name the day “Cricket Hall of Fame’s Day” in her city. In Lauderhill, Florida, Mayor Richard Kaplan, a recent Hall of Famer, will offer his support by naming the day “Cricket Hall of Fame’s Day” in his city.
At the annual celebration scheduled to take place at the Sheraton Hotel, Bradley International Airport, Windsor Locks, Connecticut, at 7:00 p.m., three women Roselyn Emmanuel, Ivy Mahabir and Lorna Austin along with four men Jeffrey Dujon, John Shepherd, P. K. Guha and Bassett Thompson will be inducted into the institution.
A feature of the day will be an exhibition women’s cricket match that will take place in Keney Park. Thirty women from all across the United States of America will travel to Hartford, Connecticut, to participate in the game, which will be officiated by two female umpires.
The teams will be managed by two Hall of Famers Venelda Wallace and Petal Samuels. Nicone Gordon, President of the West Indian Social Club of Hartford will do the coin toss. Hartford’s City Councilwoman Rjo Winch will bowl the first ball. Patricia Lindo, past president of the Barbados American Society of Hartford and Shirley Matthews, past president of the Sportmen’s Athletic Club of Hartford, will officially open the event at 11 a.m.
The event is sponsored in part by Cricket Council USA, a Florida based organization which will provide the uniforms and Sportmen’s.
A coaching clinic for children six to 15 years old will take place at the park from 10:00 a.m. to 12 mid day.