King opts out of T&T tour due to personal commitments

Dec 06, 2008 Sports

Orin Bailey takes over as national U-17 Coach

Orin Bailey

By Sean Devers
The national under-17 cricket team is scheduled to depart Guyana on Tuesday morning for the West Indies under-17 tournament in Trinidad as they prepare to battle Barbados in their opening match on December 11.

However, the side, led by wicketkeeper Dexter Solomon, will be without appointed Coach Reon King after the former West Indies pacer opted out of the tour due to personal commitments.

Forty-nine year-old former Guyana youth batsman Orin Bailey will replace King while former first-class fast bowler Robert ‘Pacer’ Adonis is the Manager for the tournament which involves host Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Jamaica, Barbados, the Leewards Islands and the Windward Islands and runs from December 11-17.

Bailey who represented Guyana in the 1978 under-19 series in Barbados was also in a Guyana senior squad in 1984 but the tour to Florida was canceled due to a storm.

The attacking right-handed batsman who played at the local first division level for both DCC and the Guyana Defence Force played professionally in New York from 1984 to 1988, in England from 1992 to 1994 and in Holland from 1992 to 1994.

Bailey was the Guyana under-19 team’s coach in 2003 and has worked with every youth team since then as they prepared for regional competition. He was also first appointed the Demerara senior team coach in 2000 and has a wealth of knowledge as coach at the youth level.

Bailey, who has been working along with King since the squad was encamped in Georgetown last week Friday, feels the team is full of talent and should be very competitive in Trinidad.

“The whole purpose of this tournament is to help develop these young players into better cricketers both mentally and physically as they aspire to become first-class and International players.

There is still a lot of work to be done with guys this age who are still learning their trade but once they work hard and play as a team they should do well,” Bailey said.

Although the team has several talented batsmen the strength should be in the bowling department on what should be slow tracks in Trinidad.

Keon Joseph is arguably the second quickest bowler in Guyana and has already played at the regional under-19 level and will spearhead a very strong pace attack which also includes left-arm pacer Andre Stoll, who is the only surviving member from last year’s team.

Seon Daniels, the third quickie in the 14-man squad, is among the fastest improving fast bowlers in Guyana and has already attended national senior trials.

Ricardo Devers is among the most naturally talented off-spinners in the country and has the ability the spin the ball a long way.

Devers, the leading bowler in the Demerara Inter-Association and national inter-county under-17 tournaments, should spearhead the spin attack along with West Indies under-15 leg-spinner Amir Khan and left-arm spinner Treston Carmichael.

Batting all-rounders Jomal La Fleur and Delon Fernandes could also bowl useful off-spin while Skipper Dexter Solomon is already being touted as among the best wicket keepers in Guyana.

Herell Greene, the leading batsman in the inter-county under-17 tournament is also the reserve ‘keeper while La Fleur, Fernandes, Dayanand Roopnarine, Quincy Ovid-Richardson, Jamally Odle and Clinton Pestano are all expected to do well with the bat.

The Guyana team:-Dexter Solomon (Captain), Jamally Odle (V/Captain), Andre Stoll, Keon Joseph, Seon Daniels, Herell Greene, Ricardo Devers, Amir Khan, Joemal La Fleur, Delon Fernandes, Clinton Pestano, Quincy Ovid-Richardson, Dayanand Roopnarine, Trinson Carmichael, Orin Bailey (Coach), Robert Adonis (Manager).

Latest News