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Coach feels Guyana can cause upset in one-day format despite 3-day loss
By Sean Devers in Barbados
The most dominant team in regional under-19 three-day cricket, Guyana yesterday surrendered their TCL Group three-day title they have held for the last two years and finished second to host Barbados in this year’s tournament.
Guyana, with 12 titles since winning the inaugural competition in 1968, was plagued by inconsistent batting throughout the six-team competition and although Seon Hetmyer scored 105 on the final day of the tournament on Saturday, Guyana had to settle for the second spot behind Barbados.
The limited overs competition begins on Tuesday and although Guyana has never won a won day title since the competition was first played in Trinidad in 1998 and added to the three-day format for the first time the following year in Barbados, Coach Hubern Evans feels the team can cause some upsets this year.
“Our top order batting let us down in the three-day competition…..the batting was too inconsistent. The guys played well in patches and did not really perform together to give us big scores. It was always going to be difficult defending small totals and when we had to at least win first innings in the last round, the top order again failed in the first innings against Trinidad,” Evans said.
The former Guyana first-class left-hander thinks the bowlers did a decent job on pitches which were very good for batting and was heartened by the positive approach of the batsmen in the second innings against Trinidad and Tobago.
“We saw that the guys can dominate the bowlers if they play positive from the way they batted in the second innings of our last game and the openers (Royan Fredricks and Trevon Griffith) set the stage with a 57-run partnership in just six overs. Hetmyer struck form at last and (Jonathan) Foo looked confident in his 48. If we can bat with the freedom that we did in that last innings in the one-day competition we can cause a few upsets,” Evans said.
“We have played cricket everyday since we got here and the guys are a bit tired….some are carrying slight injuries and we have given them a few days rest as we prepare for the one-day series,” Johnson informed.
An evaluation on the injuries to Jeetendra Sookdeo, Leon Scott, Skipper Eugene LaFleur and Keon Joseph will be done by Tuesday morning to ascertain their availability for the one-day competition but Johnson informed that none of the injuries are considered very serious at present.
“We have not managed to win the hat-trick and the guys are anxious to try and win the one-day title, especially since we have never won it before. We need to work especially on the consistency of the batsmen and our fielding if we want to win the one-day series,” Johnson said.
Jamaica, who have won three of the previous eight one-day competitions, are favored to successfully defend the one-day title they won last year in St Kitts but Guyana who lost in that final, is keen to return home on August 3 with at least one of the two trophies.
“Generally we are not as aggressive as the other teams in our batting, bowling and even mentally but we have a talented bunch of guys here who are all eager to give their best and if we can remain positive in all of our matches we should be very competitive in the one-day format,” Evans said.
The teams are expected to be taken on an Island tour tomorrow and Guyana face the Leewards and Trinidad and Tobago in their two preliminary matches in zone ‘A’ of the one-day series while Jamaica, host Barbados and the Windwards battle in the other zone.
Each team plays two matches before the top two teams from each zone clash in the final on August 2.
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