PINELANDS have now found a solid No. 3 to back up its opening partnership.
Add Canadian masters cricket club Brampton to the Pinelands Cricket Academy’s growing list of overseas-based collaborations after the two cemented a tripartite relationship with Trinidad’s PowerGen yesterday.
News of the clubs’ latest union was revealed via a Press conference at the Dover Beach Hotel, where representatives of all three parties were on hand to explain the benefits of such a partnership.
“We want to give those community-based teams that have hidden talent the necessary exposure at the regional and international cricketing stage,” said Pinelands Cricket Academy member and Member of Parliament Hamilton Lashley.
“We just can’t continue going through the associations, like the BCL [Barbados Cricket League] or BCA [Barbados Cricket Association] [because] if you are not within that particular box, then there is no opportunity for you.
“And that’s why we are here . . . to forge serious links at this level so people don’t fall through the cracks,” he added.
It’s the second major partnership the Pine-based academy has forged in the last six months, coming on the heels of the joint relationship started with PowerGen back in July.
And the Pine has already begun to reap the benefits of that union, with young cricketers Damien Davis and Rachad Forde recently leaving for the twin-island republic to join the Trinidadian club.
This was after PowerGen had outfitted the team with gear while providing technical assistance to spur Pinelands to a second-place showing in their respective BCL competition last season.
But the academy looked to further enhance its standing after realizing that PowerGen already had a similar partnership in place with a semi-professional Canadian cricket team.
“In our league, every club brings in overseas talent and we’re always scouting for good young talent and I think Pinelands can offer us some hidden talent,” said Brampton’s sports director Johnny Bujan, who also serves as Canada’s national cricket manager.
Along with the exchange of players and allotment of gear, Pinelands are also expected to send a Special Olympics team to PowerGen’s special sports day later this year.
Both Brampton and PowerGen will be fielding teams in this June’s Regional Bring Six and Come six-a-side, six-over cricket tournament in the Pine.
