Guyana face winless Windwards in season-opener today

Jan 09, 2009 Sports

By Sean Devers in Grenada
In association with Mike’s Pharmacy & Trophy Stall

Travis Dowlin

Windward Islands, the only one of six traditional teams without a regional first-class title face Guyana from today at the National Stadium, Grenada, in the opening match of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) regional four-day first class cricket tournament.
Since playing as a separate side from the Combined Islands in 1982, the Windwards have won two one-day championships (1989 & 2000) but have struggled in the longer version of the game.
Lack of proper preparation has often resulted in the Windwards’ poor showing over the years but this year a convincing victory against the Leewards in a three-day practice game which ended last Sunday in St Kitts, will give the Windwards plenty of confidence as they face-off with a Guyana team hunting their eight first-class title and first since 2002 when Carl Hooper led them to first innings honors against Jamaica in the drawn Busta International Shield final in Jamaica.

Daren Sammy

Without Test players Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Sewnarine Chattergoon, Guyana will depend heavily with the bat on their middle-order trio of Test left-hander Narsingh Deonarine, West Indies ODI player Leon Johnson and Skipper Travis Dowlin on a track which should offer some bounce for the pacers.
The Guyanese arrived without their gear at 21:00hrs on Tuesday, had their final practice session yesterday and are confident of doing well.

Narsingh Deonarine

The experienced Krishna Arjune and rookie Shemroy Barrington will hope to give Guyana a solid foundation at the top of the order while West Indies under-19 all-rounder Steven Jacobs, Deon Ferrier, Royston Crandon, debutant Chris Barnwell and wicket keeper Derwin Christian will all hope for good performances with the bat.
The Guyanese, who will face the Combined Colleges and Campuses in Barbados from January 16 in their second round game before returning home for a week’s rest ahead of their third game, could depend heavily on their spinners at a venue which hosted a solitary Test in 2002 and is one of the better cricket facilities in the Caribbean.
West Indies under-19 left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul made his first-class debut when these two teams last met in Grenada in a rain affected no-result two years ago and should do the bulk of the bowling this season along with promising leg-spinner Davendra Bishoo.
Deonarine and Jacobs could provide off-spin support while Brandon Bess, Esuan Crandon and Barnwell (son of former national footballer Chris Barnwell) are the pacers in the squad. Bess and Crandon should share the new ball.

Rawl Lewis

In their last match in Grenada, the Windwards recovered from 170-7, skipper Rawle Lewis with an unbeaten century and Liam Sebastian who made 90, featuring in a double century partnership before rain had the final say.
Last year at the Guyana National Stadium, the Windwards, helped by the decision to allow Chanderpaul to leave the match in the middle of his innings for the WIPA Awards ceremony in Trinidad, took first innings points in the drawn encounter although Dowlin hit a masterful 176.
Last year Sarwan led from the front with two centuries in 464 runs from five matches while Chattergoon, Chanderpaul and Dowlin scored a ton each. Off-spinner Zaheer Mohamed was Guyana’s leading bowler with 17 scalps while pacers Esuan Crandon Trevon Garraway (13 wickets each) were the only other bowlers to take 10 wickets.
This season Chanderpaul, Chattergoon and Sarwan are unavailable due to West Indies duties while Mohamed has not retained his place in the side.
While the Windwards had a welcomed practice match allowing them to compete as a team as preparation for today’s contest, the Guyanese, without an indoor practice facility were again affected by the adverse rain early in the year in the South American land and had just one day turf practice before leaving Guyana.
Skipper Dowlin, who made his first-class debut in the 133square-mile Spice Isle of Grenada 12 years ago, is confident that if his team bats well they should be successful and has urged his young guns to take this opportunity to establish themselves at this level with good performances.
The Windwards will depend on the exciting left-handed Test opener Devon Smith to carry their batting with support from Miles Bascombe, Liam Sebastian, wicket keeper Lyndon James Kevin James the veteran Rawl Lewis, who scored a century in the practice match in St Kitts and talented all-rounder Daren Sammy.
Off-spinner Shane Shillingford had a 12-wicket match haul against the Leewards in the practice match and could have a lot of work to do this season.
In Deighton Butler, Nelon Pascal and Sammy the Windwards have a competent pace attack while Sebastian and Lewis should offer spin support to Shillingford in today’s encounter
The game is scheduled to commence at 10:00hrs and the Grenada Broadcasting Network (GBN) will carry ball-by-ball commentary.
Jamaica play the Leewards in St Kitts and defending champions Trinidad and Tobago battle host Barbados in today’s other first round games.
Teams: (Guyana) Krishna Arjune, Shemroy Barrington, Leon Johnson, Narsingh Deonarine, Travis Dowlin, Royston Crandon, Derwin Christian, Christopher Barnwell, Veerasammy Permaul, Davindra Bishoo, Esuan Crandon, Brandon Bess, Steven Jacobs.
(Windward Islands) Rawl Lewis (Captain), Miles Bascombe, Deighton Butler, Denis George, Kevin James, Lyndon James, Mervin Matthew, Nelon Pascal, Garvin Roberts, Darren Sammy, Liam Sebastian, Shane Shillingford, Devon Smith.