Empire Cricket – By Neto Baptiste
Empire Cricket Team Eyeing
After two years of having to play all of their matches in the domestic cricket programme on the road, the successful Empire cricket team is hoping for a return to the Keithley Sheppard Recreational Park for the remainder of the Two-Day Competition.
This is according to veteran player and captain of the Empire Nation team, Justin Athanaze, who said talks have been positive and the hope is that they could host Bolans Blasters at home this weekend.
“At this point in time, we’re working on having our remaining four games at home, so let’s see what happens in the next couple of days. It’s just to get some branches cut, get the ropes around the field where it’s supposed to be, and then we think we should be good. Well, the wicket is good, so it’s just to get the ropes and the branches cut, and then hopefully we can have our games there starting this weekend home. Me and the coach had a talk and he sent off a letter to the people in charge and then apparently they gave us the go-ahead, so we just have to do what we have to do now,” he said.
Empire last played at the venue back in 2023, just before it was renamed in honour of former national footballer and cricketer, Keithley “KS” Sheppard. Since then, there has been talks of possible upgrades to the field and other areas of the facility, which has left the cricket team bouncing from venue to venue.
Athanaze said however, the teams remains focused on the task at hand which is to finish strong in the ongoing competition.
“Every time we just try to push for a win; it’s either go for a draw, or rain came, game start late, so sometimes things happen in life. We have four more games in hand so let us see how much games we can win to get in the top two. We just have to go this week, get some practice in, and then me and the coach will talk, and then we will take it from there,” he said.
Empire, in their last encounter, defeated Rising Sun Spartans by an innings and 64 runs when they met at Rising Sun.
