Latest update November 26th, 2024 1:00 AM
Housing Minister plays on winning cricket team
As National players beat Wakanaam in fund raising match
By Sean Devers
Although he played a few club matches in Leonora, Minister of Housing in the Guyana Government Irfan Ali will never join former Minister of Sports Roy Fredericks as the only person to score a First-Class double century while serving as a government Minister.
Ramnaresh Sarwan
Minister Ali
But last Sunday at a packed Wakanaam Community Centre ground, Minister Ali shed his jacket and tie to don cricket gear and join 10 others with National team experience to play a funding raising cricket match in the Essequibo Island.
By the end of the feature 20/20 contest Ali was on the winning side and after finishing unbeaten on 2 from 2 balls as the Ramnaresh Sarwan led Nationals reached 184-4, could boast of not being dismissed.
The Minister then bowled the final over as over 1,000 fans watched as the home team could only reach 156-9 when their 20 overs expired on a flat track.
The match was organized by National Coach and former First-Class batsman Rabindranauth Seeram and was used to help raise funds for the Wakanaam Cricket Association with the presence of Sarwan, who was born on the Essequibo Island, being the feature attraction.
The former West Indies Skipper led from the front with an entertaining 54 while West Indies ODI player Royston Crandon supported with 52 for the visiting team which was managed by Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) assistant Cricket Development Officer Robin Singh.
Former Guyana wicket keeper Sheik Mohamed showed plenty of his old ‘fighting spirit’ in a painstaking 21 while former West Indies under-19 player Rajendra Chandrika made 20 for the team of Guyana players who paid their own passage and contributed all of the gates fees to the WCA.
Seeram said it was good that the players had a chance to do some charitable work during Christmas time and also get in some match practice at the same time, while Ali told Kaieteur Sport that the experience of playing on the same team with National cricketers and seeing the national spirit shown by the people of Wakanaam was excellent.
Ravi Sarwan
Royston Crandon
“It is always good to see communities come together for such activities and I hope to see more community activities since it helps to foster togetherness and national unity,” the Housing Minister said.
Essequibo Wicketkeeper/Batsman Wayne Osborne top scored for the Islanders with 26 while former Guyana under-15 player Oyono Sampson made 25 and Navishal Pooran 19 in a losing effort for the Wakanaam team as former Guyana under-15 off-spinner Ravi Sarwan, the younger brother of Ramnaresh, registered a hat-trick to finish with 3-19 for the winners.
While Guyana’s newest Test player Travis Dowlin, whose mother hails from Wakanaam along with injured Test left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul and fellow West Indies player Narsingh Deonarine did not participate in the charity game, Manager Singh commended the attitude of the players who played and was especially high in praise for the Guyana players in the team from Berbice who journeyed across Guyana’s largest river to entertain their Region 3 fans.
Pacers Brandon Bess and Trevor Benn along with spinners Veerasammy Permaul, Davendra Bishoo and Royston Crandon were the main bowlers on the Sarwan led side but it was the work of Ravi Sarwan which stole the spotlight and the solitary over from Ali which cost 10 runs due to some wides which provided the entertainment to the successful venture.
WCA President Sheik Amad thanked the players for their contribution while Sarwan, Essequibo’s most famous sportsman, was awarded for his contribution as an International cricketer.
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