TCL Group regional Under-19 three-day cricket (3rd round)…Guyana face Barbados in battle of the front-runners

Jul 14, 2008 Sports

---

By Sean Devers in Barbados
In association with Digicel, TCL,Pepsi, Smalta, Demerara Power Company and Lifetime Realty

Defending champions and tournament leaders Guyana face second placed Barbados from today at the BET ground in an important third round fixture of the TCL Group three-day regional under-19 cricket competition.

With two outright wins and 24 points from the first two rounds, Guyana, hunting a third consecutive title, will hope for an improved batting performance against the host who have 18 points after beating the Windward Islands and drawing with Trinidad and Tobago.

On a track which should have some early life and then offer assistance to the spinners Guyana could have the advantage of the conditions although the game is a home one for Barbados, who won the last of their eight titles in Jamaica six year ago.

Jeetendra Sookdeo looked accomplished in scoring two fifties in the first game while wicketkeeper Anthony Bramble and Skipper Eugene La Fleur have also registered half-centuries for the South Americans, but the overall Guyana batting performance this year has been disappointing on two good batting tracks.

Royan Fredericks and Trevon Griffith have looked good without ‘going on’ and will need to give their team a solid foundation against what is anticipated to be a lively new ball attack of Diego Stuart and Randall Hoyte who are among the quickest bowlers in the tournament.

Pacer Jason Holder and left-arm spinner Dario Vaughn could also cause problems for the Guyanese batsmen and senior player Seon Hetmyer, Sookdeo, La Fleur and Bramble will all need to contribute with the bat if Guyana are to post a challenging total.

Jason Heyliger or Rolston Alkins could come into the team to strengthen the batting in place of Jonathan Foo and if Heyliger plays he would also lend fast bowling support to the genuinely quick Keon Joseph and the impressive Leon Scott.

Although not a prodigious turner of the ball, off-spinner Herman Latcha has bowled with beautiful control while left-arm spinners La Fleur and Totaram Bishun have provided good spin support. The Barbadian batsmen, usually susceptible to quality spin bowling, should be tested.

Rashidi Boucher was unbeaten on 96 in the first round and scored a fluent half-century against Trinidad and Tobago in his last game. He could provide the biggest headache for the Guyana bowlers while skipper and West Indies under-19 player Kyle Corbin struck form with an unbeaten fifty in his last innings.

West Indies under-15 opener Kraigg Brathwaite has a wonderful temperament and enjoys batting. This is an opportunity for the youngster to play a ‘long innings’ as his team aims to overtake Guyana on the points table with an outright win.

With just two rounds remaining after this game, the team which produces an outright win here will be well positioned to win the tournament.

When these two teams last met in this competition Guyana won by four wickets in St Kitts last year after Barbados were bowled out for 92 in their first innings but the Guyanese will remember that Boucher made 22 and 73 in that game and will know that he and Corbin will be the key wickets for them in this encounter.

Teams: Barbados (from) Kyle Corbin (Captain), Jason Holder, Maradon Benn, Rashidi Boucher, Kraigg Brathwaite, Royston Chase, Dario Cummings, Randall Hoyte, Jeremy Marshall, Raymon Reifer, Shad Simmons, Kemal Smith, Diego Stuart, Dario Vaughn

Guyana (from) Eugene La Fleur (Captain), Royan Fredericks, Trevon Griffith, Jeetendra Sookdeo, Seon Hetmyer, Anthony Bramble, Dilon Heyliger, Herman Latcha, Keon Joseph, Totaram Bishun, Leon Scott, Royston Alkins, Jonathan Foo, Keyron Fraser
By Sean Devers in Barbados
In association with Digicel, TCL,Pepsi, Smalta, Demerara Power Company and Lifetime Realty

Defending champions and tournament leaders Guyana face second placed Barbados from today at the BET ground in an important third round fixture of the TCL Group three-day regional under-19 cricket competition.
With two outright wins and 24 points from the first two rounds, Guyana, hunting a third consecutive title, will hope for an improved batting performance against the host who have 18 points after beating the Windward Islands and drawing with Trinidad and Tobago.
On a track which should have some early life and then offer assistance to the spinners Guyana could have the advantage of the conditions although the game is a home one for Barbados, who won the last of their eight titles in Jamaica six year ago.
Jeetendra Sookdeo looked accomplished in scoring two fifties in the first game while wicketkeeper Anthony Bramble and Skipper Eugene La Fleur have also registered half-centuries for the South Americans, but the overall Guyana batting performance this year has been disappointing on two good batting tracks.
Royan Fredericks and Trevon Griffith have looked good without ‘going on’ and will need to give their team a solid foundation against what is anticipated to be a lively new ball attack of Diego Stuart and Randall Hoyte who are among the quickest bowlers in the tournament.
Pacer Jason Holder and left-arm spinner Dario Vaughn could also cause problems for the Guyanese batsmen and senior player Seon Hetmyer, Sookdeo, La Fleur and Bramble will all need to contribute with the bat if Guyana are to post a challenging total.
Jason Heyliger or Rolston Alkins could come into the team to strengthen the batting in place of Jonathan Foo and if Heyliger plays he would also lend fast bowling support to the genuinely quick Keon Joseph and the impressive Leon Scott.
Although not a prodigious turner of the ball, off-spinner Herman Latcha has bowled with beautiful control while left-arm spinners La Fleur and Totaram Bishun have provided good spin support. The Barbadian batsmen, usually susceptible to quality spin bowling, should be tested.
Rashidi Boucher was unbeaten on 96 in the first round and scored a fluent half-century against Trinidad and Tobago in his last game. He could provide the biggest headache for the Guyana bowlers while skipper and West Indies under-19 player Kyle Corbin struck form with an unbeaten fifty in his last innings.
West Indies under-15 opener Kraigg Brathwaite has a wonderful temperament and enjoys batting. This is an opportunity for the youngster to play a ‘long innings’ as his team aims to overtake Guyana on the points table with an outright win.
With just two rounds remaining after this game, the team which produces an outright win here will be well positioned to win the tournament.
When these two teams last met in this competition Guyana won by four wickets in St Kitts last year after Barbados were bowled out for 92 in their first innings but the Guyanese will remember that Boucher made 22 and 73 in that game and will know that he and Corbin will be the key wickets for them in this encounter.
Teams: Barbados (from) Kyle Corbin (Captain), Jason Holder, Maradon Benn, Rashidi Boucher, Kraigg Brathwaite, Royston Chase, Dario Cummings, Randall Hoyte, Jeremy Marshall, Raymon Reifer, Shad Simmons, Kemal Smith, Diego Stuart, Dario Vaughn
Guyana (from) Eugene La Fleur (Captain), Royan Fredericks, Trevon Griffith, Jeetendra Sookdeo, Seon Hetmyer, Anthony Bramble, Dilon Heyliger, Herman Latcha, Keon Joseph, Totaram Bishun, Leon Scott, Royston Alkins, Jonathan Foo, Keyron Fraser

---

---