Latest update April 18th, 2025 8:12 AM
Johnson, Bess back for Guyana’s next match
Fudadin, Garraway sent home
By Sean Devers
West Indies One-Day left-hander Leon Johnson and fast bowler Brandon Bess leave Guyana today for Barbados to join the Guyana team for their next West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) regional four-day first-class cricket match against Barbados which starts on Friday at the Windwards ground in St Phillip.
Brandon Bess (left) chats with Leon Johnson at the 3Ws Oval in Barbados shortly after being told of their selection on the West Indies
Johnson and Bess, both 21, missed Guyana’s last match in Nevis due to their participation for the West Indies ‘A’ team against England in St Kitts and will hope to make their mark as Guyana attempt to end their losing streak of three matches this season.
Twenty-seven-year-old Test left-hander Sewnarine Chattergoon, the other Guyanese who played in the ‘A’ team match at Warner Park, will miss Guyana’s next game due to injury.
The Albion opener, who had a poor run of form in New Zealand, managed just 37 as Lendl Simmons and Adrian Barath scored big centuries against the English bowlers in the ‘A’ team match and would have been hoping to play as much as possible for Guyana to force his way back into the regional side with consistent scores.
His unavailability means that rookies Shemroy Barrington and Chris Barnwell will again have to open the batting leaving the tour committee with the headache of which batsman to drop to make way for Johnson.
Twenty-five-year-old pacer Trevon Garraway who played in the last game and the 23-year-old Assad Fudadin have both been sent home from the squad which lost to the Leewards in Nevis.
Bess should replace Trevon Garraway while the exclusion of Fudadin, who averages 25.96 from 21 first-class games, is surprising if the selectors are looking to rebuild the side and Hoomchand Pooran is being taken on tour to carry the drinks.
West Indies under-19 Vice-Captain Steven Jacobs could lose his place in the side after just a solitary match to accommodate Johnson, who averages 30.72 from 12 first class matches with three fifties and 26.33 from three ODIs with one half-century.
While Pooran is not expected to play on Friday, the tour selectors could also toy with the idea of leaving out Barnwell to utilize Jacobs’ off-spin and ask Skipper Travis Dowlin, wicketkeeper Derwin Christian or Royston Crandon to open with Barrington.
But since Barnwell, who also bowls medium pace, scored a debut 40 before making a duck in the second innings, Jacobs, who failed to build on a fair start of 22 as Guyana fell 10 short hunting 243 for victory in their last game, could be the unlucky one.
While Dowlin, Narsingh Deonarine and Royston Crandon have scored two fifties each this season, nobody as gone on to a century and the Guyana batting, especially without Chattergoon, Shiv Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan, will need to produce on what is expected to be a lively pitch from Friday.
Guyana squad:-
Travis Dowlin (Captain), Narsingh Deonarine (V/Capt), Shemroy Barrington, Chris Barnwell, Leon Johnson, Royston Crandon, Derwin Christian, Esuan Crandon, Veerasammy Permaul, Davendra Bishoo, Brandon Bess, Hoomchand Pooran, Steven Jacobs, Carl Moore (Manager), Albert Smith (Coach).
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