How low can you go? How high can you climb or jump? How fast can you run? It was all fun at Guardsman Games when agility, stamina, and endurance were put to the test. Supporters and adventure fanatics ventured on to the property of Hope Zoo last Sunday for the second staging of the grand sporting event, Guardsman Games 2018.

Hosted by the Guardsman Group Foundation, under the mantra ‘Come for the Charity, Stay for the Fun’, proceeds from this year’s Guardsman Games will go towards assisting Boys of Hope; troubled youth; The Kind Heart Basic School Initiative, to help with constructing schools in rural parts of Jamaica; and the Bustamante Hospital for Children, who were beneficiaries last year for their solar-panelling mission.

Competitors smiled with the morning sun as they performed rigourous outdoor activities for personal gratification during the Guardsman Challenge. Sponsors, companies, and other teams put out their all, with the hopes of not only completing the race, but qualifying to represent internationally at the Obstacle Course Race World Championships (OCRWC). Children were invited to join in on the festivities by participating in the Tuff Kids Race.

Energising MC Jenny Jenny got the ball rolling between challenges, with prizes and surprises for athletes and patrons. The Rising Stars marching band introduced the teams for the start of the main event: the Power Games.

Some 12 teams, each consisting of four individuals – two males and two females – were pumped to go head to head in gruesome challenges and ultimately vie for the top three spots, with first place receiving the opportunity to compete for Jamaica at the OCRWC.

The finalists pulled through almost neck and neck in within the qualifying time, with the fastest time going to Supligen Warriors and the slowest time being earned by the wild card spot, C and S Stars. So for them, timing was everything. The missions saw teams competing in either batches of twos or threes. The barrel roll and sandbag throw were up first. Team JAAR, barrelled their way to the finish line to be ahead of the game on the first group of challengers. JN Conquerors played it smart, coming first of the second set, and SSL Plum Nation rolled in style to finish from among the third team. Supligen Warriors were in top form, winning the fourth set with what appeared to be the fastest finishing time. SSL Money Team quickly followed suit, completing in high speed to place. While Wolf Pack finished first of the last batch.

The games were paused for an entertaining dog display, courtesy of the Guardsman Group. The audience was told to remain still, while their canine unit showcased the tricks of their trade.

With technical difficulties altering the second challenge, all roads led to gruelling obstacle course. Just as before, teams competed in sets of threes, this time around in the reverse order of the first challenge. The aim was to finish the entire course as one unit, so this was the time to make it all count. Running at a rapid pace with leaps and climbs in between, this was certainly not for the faint in fitness. Teams battled it out until almost nightfall, trying to beat the clock.

Spectators enjoyed the music, waiting eagerly to cheer on their favourites. In the end, there could only be one winner. Once everyone crossed the finish line, they took some minutes to tabulate the results. Placing third overall was Team JAAR, while in second place was SSL Money Team. The winner who demonstrated finesse in fitness, with discipline, team spirit and heart, was the Supligen Warriors.

 

Original article published in the Jamaica Gleaner’s Outlook on Sunday, July 29, 2018.

The Hero Caribbean Premier League is set to begin on 8 August when current champions, Trinbago Knight Riders, take on St Lucia Stars. There have been two significant changes to the playing conditions for the 2018 event.

In the event of a tie between the two teams, there will be a Super Over as in previous seasons. In the past, the team that had batted second in the match would automatically bat first in the Super Over. This year there will be another coin toss to decide which team will bat first in the Super Over.

There is also a change in the penalties that will be applied to teams that do not complete their overs within the allotted time. Each side has 85 minutes, plus any additional time that the umpires have deemed appropriate due to delays in play, to complete their overs.

If teams fail to bowl their overs within the allotted time they will be given a Net Run Rate penalty as outlined below:

• One (1) over down – Penalty of 0.05 deduction from their NRR
• Each additional over down – Penalty of 0.10 deduction from their NRR

Michael Hall, Tournament Operations Director for Hero CPL, said: “We work hard each year to ensure that playing conditions are making the competition as fair as possible while also keeping the spectators and viewers at home entertained. We feel both of these changes will help with both of these goals.”

 

Martin Guptill is getting ready for the upcoming Hero Caribbean Premier League where he will be playing for his new team, the Barbados Tridents. The tournament runs from 8 August to 16 September, and Guptill thinks the Tridents are well placed to compete with a new look squad for 2018.

“I think it’s exciting, there are some world class players in there, both local and international, so I’m looking forward to getting over there. I’ll be batting again with Dwayne Smith, the way it was in Guyana a couple years ago. You know he’s an exciting player who gives the ball a bit of a whack at the top as well. We’ve got some exciting all-rounders with Shakib al Hasan, Roston Chase also Jason Holder as well so it is an exciting team to be a part of and I am looking forward to getting over there.”

As well as an opening partnership of Dwayne Smith and Guptill there is Hashim Amla in the middle order. Guptill is looking forward to linking up with the South African stroke-maker at this year’s Hero CPL.

I played with Hashim in IPL last year and I got to bat with him in a few games, to watch the master at work down the other end was an experience and I am looking forward to hopefully batting with him again over at CPL.”

Guptill will be playing his home games at Kensington Oval, one of the most famous grounds in world cricket, when the Tridents arrive in Barbados for their five home games between 25 August and 2 September. Tickets for all the matches are selling fast and can be purchased at http://www.cplt20.com.

“It’s a lovely ground to play. I’ve had a bit of mixed results there but I’m looking forward to getting there. It is one of the iconic grounds of the West Indies so I’ve loved playing there in the past with different teams, and to have it as my home ground this year I’m looking forward to getting out there and hopefully showing the home fans what I can do.”

Guptill has been a Guyana Amazon Warrior player since 2013 and he says he has mixed feelings about playing against a franchise that he feels attached to.

“Amazon Warriors have been good to me for 4 years you know it’s a fresh start for me this year and it’s kind of good for me in a way, I get to experience different people in a different setup and I’m looking forward to getting into it.

When asked about what makes the Hero CPL so special Guptill said it was the atmosphere in the region that makes it a great tournament to be a part of.

“I guess it‘s the laid back nature of the Caribbean. The people there make it a lot of fun. You’re not putting too much pressure on yourself when you’re over there – you’re just relaxing and enjoying the experience. I guess you could say it’s one of the nicest places in the world to be playing and to be based on Barbados is pretty cool. I’ve loved every minute of being in Barbados, being there with other teams so to be there this year and have it as my home base is pretty cool you know and um can’t wait to get there and get amongst them.”