Vishal Singh continues impressive debut English season

Aug 25, 2008 Sports

By Sean Devers
Nineteen-year-old Former Guyana under-19 left-hander Vishal Singh continues to enjoy an impressive debut season in English cricket and is now eying selection on the senior Guyana team.

The Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) batsman now has the added responsibility of filling the place in the Sandwich Town CC left by his GCC club mate and Guyana’s newest West Indies player Leon Johnson, who is in Canada with the West Indies team.

The English club, in which Johnson and Singh are the Guyanese professionals, held its annual cricket week festivities from last week Monday.

The 21-year-old Johnson, who scored a half-century in his second ODI, missed the cricket week festivities but his countryman Singh did not miss out on scoring the most runs for the club during week.

On Monday against Market Deeping, Singh who scored his maiden regional under-19 century in St Kitts last year missed out on a century by three runs when he was caught spectacularly at gully.

The next day, in the biggest game of cricket week, against the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) the talented stroke-player continued his good form with a polished 83 before making six and 78 on Wednesday and Thursday respectively.

On Saturday, playing in the Premiership for only the second time after replacing Johnson, in a must win game to prevent Sandwich CC from being relegated from the top competition in Kent next season, Singh fell five short of a maiden Premiership century with his innings coming to an end when he was leg before trying to paddle sweep the medium pacer.

The Guyanese and Kent county player Sam Norteast came together in a 210-run third wicket partnership in 40 overs to set up a crucial victory for Sandwich who reached 297 against Lordswood CC. Norteast finished unbeaten on 144 while Singh’s 95 lasted 93 balls.

The University of Guyana Student, who hails from Alexander Village is scheduled to return home on September 10 and although he will miss the El Dorado senior inter-county 50-overs competition he is hoping to be a part of the national trials and gain selection on the Guyana senior team.

“I have learnt so much from playing over here and I feel I am now ready mentally to play at the senior regional level. Being the professional here means that to you have to be consistent and I have been working a lot on my fitness also. I think I am a much more complete batsman than when I first came to England,” Singh told Kaieteur Sport yesterday.

Singh disclosed that he is available for Demerara but cannot return before September 10 which means that he will miss the Demerara’s preliminary round matches against Berbice in Berbice on September 6 and against Essequibo at Anna Regina on September 10.

He is however, confident that that Demerara will qualify for the September 14 final at Bourda and hopes to be included in his county’s side if the selectors feel he can play a part in giving Demerara the title.