iPods, cellphones, tickets for cricket spectators

In an effort to attract greater spectator interest in the game, Nishi Ramharrack, vice-president of Pizza Hut will offer incentives and features in each of the four days of the annual Pizza Hut/Gerry Gomez Cricket Classic at the Queen’s Park Oval. This was revealed by Ramharrak at the official launch yesterday at Oval. The 2008 Pizza Hut/Gerry Gomez Classic will take place from December 28-31.

Ramharrack,said her company has added entertainment during the intervals with steel bands, at what is the final opportunity for players to address selectors, for the National team for next year’s regional championships. And spectators who choose the correct 14 selected for the T&T team, will have the opportunity to win iPods, cellphones or tickets for two to Barbados to see the match between T&T and Barbados, and several prizes of snacks.

In addition, transport will be provided for children to come to see the match and to begin to recognise and appreciate the country’s best players. Earlier, Bryan Davis cricket advisor at Queen’s Park CC gave a short history of the match which has been running since 1907, first as the Decle Cup which North won for three years in succession. That brought in the Beaumont Cup which was played in alternate years in North and South.

It was moved to South when the TTCBC came into existence and was then sponsored by Trintoc. QPCC then took sponsorship and control of the match in 1996, the year in which Gerry Gomez, a former T&T and West Indies allrounder and later a respected administrator, died. It became known as the Gerry Gomez North-South Classic. The sponsorship of the match was considerable and in came Pizza Hut to make sure that an exciting and important sporting event continues.

Colin Borde, manager of the T&T team, was pleased with the progress and with the competitive spirit of what is now the dominant team in regional cricket. He is confident that the match would produce sparkling cricket as players seek to impress the selectors, while the WICB tries to have the game’s first class status revived. Play on each day is scheduled to begin at 10 am.


Trinidad Guardian