Guyana team wing out for Grenada today

Jan 06, 2009 Sports

‘Batting is our strength ’- Skipper Dowlin

Skipper Travis Dowlin watches from the none-striker

By Sean Devers
Guyana, hunting their first regional first-class title since 2002, begin their 2009 West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) four-day cricket campaign from Friday with two ‘away’ matches against the Windward Islands and the Combined Colleges and Campuses (CCC).
The Guyanese, without the Test pair of Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan, depart for Grenada today for their opening game against the Windwards and Skipper Travis Dowlin feels the team’s strength is the batting.
“I would say our strength is the batting with Leon (Johnson) coming back from New Zealand and Narsingh Deonarine and myself in the middle order. We will really miss Sarwan and Chanderpaul since they are top quality batsmen, but their absence gives the younger guys a chance to perform at this level. I hope they make full use of that chance, Dowlin said after his team’s final practice session yesterday afternoon at the Guyana national stadium.
Rain in December and again at the start of the year has badly affected the team’s preparations and Dowlin, who averages 29.43 from 62 first-class matches, lamented that once again the national team will be leaving Guyana with very little turf practice.
“Even with the excellent drainage at the Stadium, rain has prevented us from having any meaningful turf practice while our scheduled practice game set for this week was washed out. However, I think the guys are all well prepared physically and at this level I think you are expected to make the mental adjustments required as we get into the competition,’ Dowlin, who turns 32 next month, opined.
“The pitch at the Stadium was very slow and while the pitches in Grenada and especially Barbados are expected to have more bounce and pace than those here (in Guyana) I don’t think it should be too difficult for us to adjust our game mentally. We have worked hard on fitness and I would think that the guys, especially the younger ones, are also preparing themselves mentally for what is going to be a long first-class season,” Dowlin added.
In the recent past Guyana have struggled ‘on the road’ in their early games but Dowlin is confident that his team will return home with points once they bat well.
“A lot will depend on the batsmen to give our bowlers good totals to bowl at and once we can bat well we should be successful. We have generally done well against the Windwards, while the CCC team is not a very experienced team, so we should have the physiological advantage even though our first two games are not in Guyana,” the elegant right-hander stated.
Dowlin feels that over the years the strength of the Windwards is their bowling and stressed that once the openers can provide a solid foundation and Johnson and Deonarine and himself bat well Guyana should be able to do well in Grenada, the Island on which he made his first-class debut 12 years ago.
“Even with out the Test players we have lots of talent and I was very disappointed with the way we played in the one-day competition when we did not even make it to the semi-finals. The talent is there but we have to work harder on the mental aspects of our game…things like shot selection, consistency in bowling and being alert to different situations. We have a good crop of young players here and while our turf preparation could have been better I am confident that we will be successful,” Dowlin disclosed.
The middle-order batsman who was a member of the Stanford Superstars which defeated England in Antigua for an unprecedented US$20 million, said as a player he taking it one match at a time.
“I am striking the ball pretty well and with the experienced I gained for being involved for six weeks in a very professional and thorough system as we prepared for the 20/20 for $20 million game, I feel that I am a more matured and better batsman now. I am looking forward to putting my best foot forward and be successful as both batsman and Captain this season. I have been playing at this level since 1997 and I am also hoping to play a part in the development of the younger batsmen coming into the side,” a relaxed and upbeat Dowlin, who ended last year’s competition with an unbeaten 176 against the Windwards at Providence, informed.
In the bowling department a lot is expected from West Indies under-19 left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul and leg-spinner Davendra Bishoo while debutants; opener Shemroy Barrington and all-rounder Chris Barnwell are exciting prospects at this level.

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