Cricket – Page 7 – The 592 Dugout

GCB holds 1st Legal Ordinary General Meeting in a Decade!

The newly-elected Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) held its first Ordinary General Meeting for the 2021-2023 term on June 19, 2021 at the LBI Sports Facility. This meeting was chaired by the President of the GCB, Mr. Bissoondyal Singh, who welcomed the attendees and noted that, for the first time in ten (10) years, all three (3) County Boards were present at what was described as a highly successful meeting.

Among the matters discussed were the development of cricket including youth and women’s cricket, prudent financial management, accountability and transparency of all GCB matters. Also discussed was Pakistan’s upcoming tour of the West Indies. Three (3) T20 matches are scheduled to be played at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

As per the important agenda item and consistent with the Guyana Cricket Administration Act 2014, three vacancies on the Executive Committee of the GCB were filled. Mr. Azad Ibrahim was elected Vice-President, Administration. Mr. Ibrahim is an executive member of the Muslim Youth Organization (MYO), a Vice-President of the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) and Treasurer of the Demerara Cricket Board. He was recently appointed as manager of the Guyana National Stadium. Members agreed that Mr. Ibrahim would be able to establish an important nexus between the GCB and the Stadium.

Mr. Brian Sukhai was elected to the position of treasurer of the Board. Mr. Sukhai is a former student of Queen’s College and a Guyana Scholar who qualified as an ACCA. Mr. Sukhai played cricket for a number of years for the Malteenoes Sports Club and was treasurer of the People’s Assembly Church for three years. He is presently employed as the Divisional Director with Responsibility for Finance at Power Producers and Distributors. Previously he worked as an accountant at GBTI, as a Business Analyst at MICROFIN and for ten (10) years was the Programme Manager of the European Union (Guyana). Mr. Sukhai has been highly recommended to the GCB and with his expertise in financing and wealth of experience, he is expected to be of tremendous assistance in the financial management of the Board.

Mr. Rabindranauth Saywack was elected to the position of Marketing Manager of the GCB. Mr. Saywack brings to the Board a wealth of experience in management and presently holds the position of Vice-President of the Berbice Cricket Board. He has been involved in cricket administration and coaching programmes in the West Berbice region for a number of years. He is a former Cadet Officer of the Guyana Defence Force and a successful and well-respected businessman in the agricultural sector.

At the conclusion of the meeting, President Singh praised the members of the three (3) County Boards for their contribution to the meeting as many critical issues were discussed and important decisions taken. He thanked the members for their lively and interactive participation and commended them for their commitment to the development of Guyana’s Cricket. President Bissoondyal Singh said he looked forward to the continued support and cooperation of the members in furtherance of the development and promotion of Guyana’s Cricket.

Hetty out, Russell in as WI begin T20 series vs SA today

The Cricket West Indies Selection Panel on Friday named the 13-member squad for the first and second CG Insurance T20 Internationals (T20I) against South Africa.

The panel recalled Andre Russell, the talismanic all-rounder to the squad, as the defending T20 World Champions prepare for the matches which will be played at the Grenada National Stadium on Saturday and Sunday. First ball daily is 2pm (1pm Jamaica Time).

Russell is a two-time T20 World Cup winner, having been a member of the squad which won the titles in 2012 and 2016. He has played 49 T20Is for the West Indies and his last appearance was against Sri Lanka in Pallekele in March last year.

Roger Harper, Lead Selector said:

“Andre Russell will add that ‘X’ factor to the team. He is an impact player with both bat and ball and lends greater depth in both departments. The aim is to build on the performance against Sri Lanka earlier this year, to build confidence, while determining our best squad and team as we run into the ICC T20 World Cup.”

Fully vaccinated fans will be able to buy tickets for the game from the stadium box office and ticket booths on presentation of their vaccination documentation and their national ID, with tickets available at EC$50 per match.

Fans in the Caribbean can watch live on Flow Sports or via the Flow Sports app. Live radio commentary is available on the Windies Cricket YouTube channel and on a number of local radio stations across the Caribbean. Fans also follow live ball by ball scoring on the website live match centre, featuring the new live match blog.

Shai Hope, Kieran Powell recalled to WI test side, Seales earns maiden call-up

The Cricket West Indies (CWI) Selection Panel today named the West Indies Men’s 13-member squad for the first Betway Test Match against South Africa. Following his good form in the warm-up intra-squad match, Shai Hope has earned himself a recall along with opener Kieran Powell who is expected to slot in for the woefully out of form John Campbell. The Test squad includes one newcomer in Jayden Seales, the exciting 19-year-old fast bowler from Trinidad & Tobago and former member of West Indies Under-19 World Cup squad in 2020, who has been very impressive since he emerged on the scene.

Hope last played Test cricket in England in July last year, while Powell’s last Test appearance was in Bangladesh in December, 2018.

Speaking on the squad selection, Roger Harper, the Lead Selector said:

“Jayden Seales is young, very enthusiastic and has a big heart. In the ‘Best v Best’ matches he bowled with pace, got movement and has displayed the ability to take wickets. We think he is capable of adding potency to the bowling attack.”

“Kieran Powell we know is a very capable batsman who we expect to add quality and depth to the batting department. He put himself in the mix with his performance in the Best v Best match. Shai Hope has performed very well in the red ball matches he has played, following on the back of his highly successful One-Day International series against Sri Lanka, so he has forced his way into the squad by performance.”

Harper added:

“The aim is to continue to build on the performances of the last two Test series and to keep improving as a Test team. We must continue the process of working hard, playing with great passion, playing with determination and a great desire to succeed. Doing that consistently will bring us the right results. The training camp gave the players the opportunity to prepare for the Betway Test series in all departments, considering that no real red ball cricket has been played since the series against Sri Lanka in March.”

Griffith tests positive for Covid; Savory called up as replacement

Guyana Jaguars opening batsman Trevon Griffith has tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of the Jaguars scheduled departure for the CG Insurance Super50 Cup in Antigua on Saturday (January 30).

This was confirmed by a source in the administration of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB). According to the source, Griffith will be replaced by wicket-keeper batsman Kemol Savory.

The team will be captained by the experienced Leon Johnson, who will have West
Indies’ batsman Shimron Hetymer as his deputy.

Meanwhile, Keemo Paul will sit out of the tournament in order to facilitate adequate recovery from an injury, whereas, Sherfane Rutherford who was considered for selection, has opted to play T10 and T20 cricket
in Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Upon Arrival in Antigua, a 2-day room isolation is required after which the Jaguars will undergo Covid-19 testing on February 2, with another scheduled for February 6 between which players will be allowed to practice as a group.

The team is as follow: Chandrapaul Hemraj, Kemol Savory, Christopher Barnwell, Leon Johnson (Captain), Shimron Hetmyer (Vice-captain), Assad Fudadin, Keon Joseph, Romario Shepherd, Kevin Sinclair, Ramaal Lewis, Nial Smith, Gudakesh Motie, Anthony Bramble (Wicket-keeper), Akshaya Persaud, Tevin Imlach.

The team is led by Coach, Esuan Crandon and Manager/Assistant Coach, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, while the Physiotherapist will be Ernesto Campo Gonzalez. The Guyana Jaguars first game will be against the Barbados Pride on February 8.

Johnson’s XI beats Hetmyer’s XI by 2 wickets in 1st Jaguars practice match

In the first practice match which was played at the LBI ground on Monday (January 18), Johnson’s XI won the toss and inserted Hetmyer’s XI to bat. In a match which was initially reduced to 45 overs due to drizzles during the morning hours, Hetmyer’s XI reached 83 for 6 off 23.3 overs when rain actually put a temporary halt to play. On resumption the overs were revised based on time remaining, with Hetmyer’s XI having 11.3 more overs to bat in the match which was further revised to 35 overs a side.

Akshaya Persaud made an entertaining unbeaten 51, inclusive of 2 sixes and 3 fours, to propel his team to 152 all out off 33.3 of their allotted overs. Ricardo Adams supported well with a quickfire 47, in which he slammed 5 sixes and 1 four. The only other batsman to reach double figure was Vishual Singh with 15.

Bowling for Johnson’s XI, West Indies fast bowler Romario Shepherd grabbed 4 for 24 from 5.3 overs, while talented fast bowler Nial Smith claimed 3 for 22 from 6 overs. Gudakesk Motie and Ramaal Lewis took 1 for 26 from 6 overs and 1 for 22 from 7 overs respectively.

In reply. Johnson’s XI under the DLS 4 system required 143 for victory. Jonathan Foo was full of confidence, blazing 35, a knock which included 4 sixes, and one in which he helped to catapult his team’s score to a winning position, with team mates Tevin Imlach and Romario Shepherd contributing valuable
scores of 28 and 15 respectively, allowing for Ramaal Lewis and Gudakesk Motie to complete their team’s winning innings unbeaten on 7 and 3 respectively, as Johnson’s XI reach 145 for 8 from 30 of their allotted 35 overs.

Earlier, opening Trevon Griffith contributed 19, inclusive of 2 fours. Bowling for
Hetmyer’s, XI, Steven Sankar took 4 for 39 from 7 overs, Antony Adams 2 for 12 from 4 overs and Kevin Sinclair 2 for 20 from 7 overs. Leon Johnson’s XI won by 2 wickets.

The next practice matches are scheduled for Wednesday (January 20), and Friday (January, 22) at the LBI facility.

GCB vs GoG continues, GCB members banned from the National Stadium

The Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport has imposed an immediate ban of the ‘Guyana Cricket Board’ (GCB) members from the Providence National Stadium citing non-compliance with the Cricket Administration Act.

This comes on the heels of statements from Minister Charles Ramson Jr. on Tuesday, in which he shut down a request from the GCB for the use of the National Stadium and also said that his Ministry does not recognize the GCB as a legitimate body responsible for cricket in Guyana.

**Minister of Culture, Youth & Sport: Charles Ramson Jr.**

The Minister was at the time referring to an article published in sections of the media that suggested the recently held ‘Bounce Back’ Football tournament which was held at the National Stadium had resulted in serious damage to the pitch area.

Consequently, the GCB hit back on Wednesday with a press release of their own in which they challenged certain parts of the Cricket Administration Act and revealed that they would now have to use the LBI Facility for the practice matches to select a team to represent Guyana at the upcoming Regional Super50 tournament.

Additionally, the press release noted; “The GCB has consistently objected to various aspect of the Cricket Administration Act based on strong and valid arguments. As a consequence, the GCB finds it disheartening that there once again appears to be political interference in the administration of cricket in Guyana, albeit that this time the interference seems to be ignited by Minister Charles Ramson Jr.”

Meanwhile on Thursday, the Ministry posted a statement to their social media in response to the ‘GCB’ press release.

It read, “As a consequence of a failed attempt to denigrate the Guyana National Stadium and to maliciously incite public disquiet by an illegitimate body purporting to call itself the “Guyana Cricket Board” by causing to be published images of the ground which have proven to be false, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports has taken a decision to prohibit entry of the members of the illegitimate body to the Guyana National Stadium ground with immediate effect until there is full compliance with the restored Cricket Administration Act.”

However, the Ministry noted; “being mindful of the careers of the players who will be participating in the Super50 regional tournament, we will, therefore, permit access to the Guyana National Stadium to players and coaches only.”

CGI to conduct Fitness Assessment of Guyana Jaguars players

With Cricket Guyana Inc. (CGI) preparing to bowl off cricket activities in early January of the new year, the Guyana Jaguars will lead the way with fitness assessment activities to be conducted on Monday (January 4) at the LBI ground.

The fitness assessment will be for contracted franchise players, as
well as potential Academy players. The assessment of the potential
academy players is essential, since CGI intends to contract players
for the remainder of the 2020/2021 Regional Cricket Season.

In preparation for the Guyana Jaguars participation in the
CWI CG Insurance Super 50 Tournament which will be held in the month
of February, the CGI franchise players will first engaged in
three practice matches at the LBI ground from 09:00 hrs on Friday (January 8), Sunday (January 10) and Tuesday (January 12).

Passion and dedication the driving factors behind Sinclair’s rapid development

In just about two years, Kevin Sinclair has become a household name in Guyana, the youngster has been moving from strength to strength in terms of his development and success at the regional level both in limited overs cricket and the longer format of the game.

The 592 Dugout caught up with Kevin who touched a bit on the recently concluded Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and other aspects of his budding career.

The 20-year-old off-spinning all-rounder who took four wickets in five matches with a miserly economy rate of 4.4 with best figures of 2/13 reflected; “I would describe CPL as another step in my development as a player, not only me but also for other emerging players as well. The Super50 last year and the Regional Four Day also played a big part in my growth as a player, I am looking to go from strength to strength and just keep doing what I do with the ball and the bat”.

Kevin Sinclair (C) of Guyana Amazon Warriors celebrates the dismissal of Evin Lewis of St Kitts & Nevis Patriots during the Hero Caribbean Premier League match 20 between St Kitts & Nevis Patriots and Guyana Amazon Warriors at Queen’s Park Oval on August 30, 2020 in Port of Spain, Trinidad And Tobago. (Photo by Randy Brooks – CPL T20/CPL T20 via Getty Images)

Following his hard work and performances which contributed to the West Indies Emerging Players winning the Regional Super50 tournament last year, Sinclair was rewarded with a call-up to the Guyana Jaguars franchise for the West Indies Championship (Regional Four-Day) in January of this year where he again made the most of the opportunity.

Playing as a back-up to Veersammy Permaul, Sinclair played six matches and took 12 wickets at an average of every 27.25 deliveries. Asked about his preparations before tournaments of that magnitude, Sinclair explained; “I have been training indoors with the Guyana Jaguars franchise, I also do my own stuff in the afternoon, hitting balls and that kind of stuff. In terms of mental preparation it is all about assessing your game and how you’re going to execute your skills, but basically I have been banking on fitness and my all round game”.

Born at the Fort Wellington Hospital, Sinclair who spent most of his early life in Patrick Dam, Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam, has his eyes set on representing the West Indies at the senior level.

“What has continually driven me throughout my career has been my passion, my love and dedication to the game, the desire to achieve my goals, and one of my main goals is to represent the West Indies. My grandfather has aided my development from a young age and right now the Academy system in Georgetown has been a main part of my continuing development”.

Looking back fondly on his earliest memories of getting into cricket, Sinclair revealed; “I started playing cricket on a concrete strip in Burmine Scheme in New Amsterdam, Berbice. At the time Shane Shillingford was fresh on the scene and doing very well, I was seven-years-old at the time and I used to call myself Shillingford, that is where my love for the game began”.

**Kevin Sinclair’s unique celebration after taking a wicker caught the eye of many along with his miserly bowling at the Hero CPL 2020. (Photo by Randy Brooks- CPL T20/CPL T20 via Getty Images)**

Quizzed about role models in cricket, Kevin pointed out; “In terms of off-spin, I like Nathan Lyon and I used to pattern myself off of him, I don’t know if you look at me, I have a similar action while in respect to batting I look up to Joe Root”.

When he isn’t playing cricket, Sinclair enjoys spending time with his family, however he still finds time for practice, while he also reviews his previous performances in tournaments to see where he went wrong.

The rising star also has a message for youngsters who are now coming through the game and are looking to build a career in cricket.

“My advice to them is; with hard work and dedication you can achieve and become anything you set your mind to be. There will be challenges and times when things won’t go your way, but once you push through that period, push through that struggle, you can make it”.

Late surge from Windies bowlers leaves 1st Test hanging in the balance

Attritional batting from England’s top three and a fluent 98-run partnership between Ben Stokes and Zak Crawley took England into a strong position before a late flurry of wickets put the visitors in charge heading into the fifth day.

Having weathered a tough period the previous evening, England openers Rory Burns and Dom Sibley resumed, faced with the task of eliminating the first-innings deficit. Both batted with determination and patience but struggled to score freely, particularly from Roston Chase’s off-spin. Something had to give at some point though, and eventually Burns was dismissed for 42 as he failed to get on top of a cut shot and spooned a short and wide ball from Chase to point.

Sibley continued to battle through, finally reaching his half-century from 161 deliveries with just four boundaries. The very next ball he was bowled by Shannon Gabriel, but he earned a reprieve as replays showed the bowler to have over-stepped. He lasted only two more balls before feathering a catch through to Shane Dowrich down the leg side with England just one run behind West Indies.

Joe Denly and Zak Crawley took the hosts into the lead, with the 22-year-old Crawley using his feet well to get on top of Chase. Denly was dismissed for 29 – the 14th time in 28 Test innings that he has fallen between 15 and 40 – as some extra bounce from the spinner causing him to chip a catch to short mid-wicket.

England’s most dominant period of the match thus far followed, as Ben Stokes and Crawley accelerated as they looked to build the lead into something substantial. Their partnership was worth 98 in 25.1 overs by the time Jason Holder found Stokes’ outside edge, with the lead having stretched to 135.

But the skipper’s wicket brought two more, as Alzarri Joseph struck twice to remove first Crawley – the ball bouncing steeply to take the shoulder of the bat – and then Buttler – driving loosely to a ball which tailed back into him – to put the visitors back on top.

Ollie Pope and Dom Bess looked to offer some resistance, but the pair were both bowled by Shannon Gabriel in the same over to leave England with just two wickets in hand and the lead worth 170 at stumps. Jofra Archer and Mark Wood remained unbeaten at the close, on 5* and 1* respectively.

(International Cricket Council Report)

Resilient half-centuries from Braithwaite and Dowrich hands West Indies advantage

Opener Kraig Braithwaite and wicketkeeper-batsman Shane Dowrich made welcome returns to form with resilient half-centuries on day three of the first Test against England to hand West Indies the advantage as they posted a 114-run lead after being dismissed for 318.

However England’s openers, Rory Burns and Dom Sibley withstood a superb spell of new-ball bowling to reduce that lead to 99 at the close of play.

When play had resumed earlier, Brathwaite and Shai Hope continued their stubborn resistance before James Anderson and Ben Stokes eventually made breakthroughs.

Hope in particular had a hard time of it and struggled for the majority of his innings and even got a reprieve after Jofra Archer had trapped him lbw only to have overstepped. However Hope fell in the very next over edging Dom Bess’ to be caught at slip.

Kraig Braithwaite made a resilient 65. (Cricket West Indies photos)

Braithwaite on the other hand showed great concentration and patience to bring up his first half-century in almost two years just before lunch. He didn’t last to the lunch break though as he was given out lbw to an inswinger from Stokes, a decision which he reviewed but lost.

Shamarh Brooks and Roston Chase strung together a good partnership as they both defended well and Brooks looked set when he feathered an edge through to Jos Buttler, which brought Jermaine Blackwood to the crease. It was a brief stay as Blackwood became Bess’ second victim with a reckless charge down the pitch.

Enter Dowrich; he joined Chase to take West Indies safely to tea. Together the pair put on 81, the highest partnership, either side of tea as England laboured for a wicket.

It was Anderson who eventually found success with the new ball, trapping Chase lbw but West Indies were already on top by this point.

Stokes reached 150 Test wickets by taking Jason Holder cheaply and Alzarri Joseph after the latter had threatened with a couple of boundaries.

He also got the key wicket of Dowrich for 61, who edged through to Jos Buttler, before Mark Wood bowled Gabriel to leave West Indies with a first-innings lead of 114 at 318.

When England resume tomorrow, they will be on 15 without loss and 99 runs behind with Sibley and Rory Burns on 5 and 10 respectively.

England 15 for 0 (Sibley 5, Burns 10) and 204 trail West Indies 314 (Brathwaite 65, Dowrich 61, Stokes 4-49) by 99 runs.