Miami Masters prepare for South American Championships
Tony Munro - 20 March 1999

When Moe Alley's Miami Masters team appears at the South American Cup in Lima, Peru this Easter, their Latin credentials may not be strictly bona fide, and their best cricket may be behind them, but there is no doubting their enthusiasm.

The Masters will appear at the Championships under the banner of Guyana, although in reality they are a motley collection of West Indian businessmen who have formed themselves into a touring team.

"We are a team of businessmen aged 40+, from different islands and countries of the Caribbean, such as Trinidad, Barbados and the Bahamas who tour making new friends. Last year we went to Brazil and had a fantastic time. We won one match and they won one. Later this year we intend to go to Belize. We are always looking for new places to go and meet new people."

For the other debutante team at the South American Championships, Venezuela, cricket in that country remains the preserve of the expatriate community.

Three clubs exist in Venezuela, these being the Caracas Sports Club, which provides the heartbeat for the game there, Valencia Americabo and Puerto Rivas.

The majority of the players there are either West Indian, Irish, British or Australian. Venezuela's best players are reputed to be two Irishmen, John Fleming and Michael Palmer.

Meanwhile, the Chilean team warmed up for the Championships with a win over a selection from the local Indian community last Sunday.

Chile XI 203-7 (35 overs) (Enrique Valenzuela 45 n.o., Richard Dain 38 n.o.) defeated Indian XI 50 all-out (Ian Scott 3-1-7-3, Stuart Nelson 3-1-4-4).