GCB annual awards set for Thursday

Top local cricketers, administrators, curators, umpires, corporate sponsors, club and journalist will be recognised for their efforts in 2016 when the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) hosts its annual awards ceremony on Thursday at the Umana Yana.

The programme will commence at 19:00h sharp with West Indies Cricket Board Director, Conde Riley, being the guest speaker. While there will be several categories of awards, the GCB has only disclosed the nominees for the Premium Awards.

The clubs in the running for Club-of-the-Year are Albion Cricket Club, Demerara Cricket Club and Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club. The shortlist for the Male Cricketer-of-the-Year includes West Indies leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo, Guyana Jaguars skipper and Test batsman Leon Johnson and Guyana Jaguars vice-captain Vishaul Singh.

Bishoo had an impressive return to international cricket, snaring 8-49, the best figures in Test cricket this year. Johnson, who was also recalled to the international duty, was the leading runscorer in the Professional Cricket League Four-day, while Singh made a huge hundred for the West Indies A team in Sri Lanka, while he was also among the runs in the Regional Four-day.

The nominees for the Female Cricketer-of-the-Year are West Indies trio Shemaine Campbelle, Tremayne Smartt and Erva Giddings.