Sarwan replaces Chanderpaul as Guyana seek final round consolation win

Feb 26, 2010 Sports

By Sean Devers in Grenada In association with

Lifetime Reality & Juliette’s Book Library & Dating Service

Guyana’s cricketer of the year Ramnaresh Sarwan returns for Guyana’s final match in what has been a dismal 2010 Regional 4-day cricket tournament for the Guyanese who seek a win against the Windwards from today in Grenada to avoid finishing last in the 7-team competition for the 2nd consecutive year.
In a game of only academic interest, Sarwan who missed the ODI series in Australia and all of Guyana’s matches this season due to a back injury, will hope to get some runs ahead of the ODI series against Zimbabwe which starts in Guyana next Thursday while the young players will have a final chance this season to show that they belong at this level.
In a battle of the bottom-of-the-table teams, the loser will finish in the cellar position since Guyana are just 3 points ahead of last placed Windwards who have 16 points.
While Sarwan’s return is good news for the Guyanese, he replaces Shivnarine Chanderpaul who scored 236 runs with 2 not outs from the 2 matches while Test players Narsingh Deonarine and Travis Dowlin, who were expected to arrive n the Caribbean last evening from Australia were not predictably selected.
Like it was when Chanderpaul returned, the bulk of the batting now rest on the shoulders of Sarwan.
Sewnarine Chattergoon’s form has been patchy and although he made a half-century in Guyana’s opening match, he could be batting for his place in the national team in this game.
Trevon Griffith has already been earmarked as one for the future from his batting in last year’s Regional under-19 series in Jamaica and in New Zealand for the West Indies in this year’s under-19 World Cup and he is eying a senior team call-up.
With Guyana apparently looking to rebuild after not winning anything at the Regional First Class level since 2002, Chattergoon could be the one to make way for Griffith in the near future since opener Rajendra Chandrika is just 20 and full of potential despite his inconsistency after an attractive debut fifty this season.
Gajanand Singh is also a huge talent and will know that he must temper his aggression and work on his fitness to get big scores regularly if he hopes to progress beyond this level. Today, in a game with little interest, he has a great opportunity to make a century.
While Sarwan should be the biggest headache for the hosts, Assad Fudadin has never really looked out of form in his 30 games at this level but impetuous shot selection has resulted in him being unable to convert any of his 7 fifties into a 3-figure score.He too needs to ‘dig in’ for a ton in this game since middle order batmen like for West Indies youth Skippers Leon Johnson and Steven Jacobs will be no doubt working hard to retain their national places and Chanderpaul and Deonarine will be automatic picks once they are available.
Royston Crandon got 94 against CCC in Barbados but he has not dominated this level like someone who only a few months ago was wearing West Indian colours and would be keen not to suffer a similar fate as Johnson, who lost his Guyana place shortly after playing for the West Indies.
Apart from the game against Barbados on a low track, Derwin Christian has kept well but the frequency of his irresponsible dismissals with the bat is becoming very frustrating for those who know his batting talent and 2 low scores here could also tempt the selectors to go for a Tyrell Tull for the 20/20 side or National youth Keeper Anthony Bramble for the longer version since Guyana is not winning with this crop of senior players.
No one can fault Esuan Crandon for commitment and hard work and he is the only Guyanese bowler who has consistently bowled a decent line and length.
At 28, his pace has dropped and he has not really contributed with his big hitting since his pugnacious half-century in the 2006 Stanford tournament but his value to the team is great especially at a time when Brendon Bess, in his 3rd season for Guyana, continues to be ‘all over the place’ and very expensive despite his genuine pace.
Since the 2008 under-19 series in Barbados Keon Joseph’s fitness has been a concern and while the West Indies youth pacer is among the quickest bowlers in the region and was selected ahead of the unlucky Trevor Benn for Guyana’s last 2 overseas trips in this competition, it is understood that fitness was a factor in his non-selection in Trinidad when Crandon had 8 wickets to help Guyana to their 1st win at this level since March 2008.
Leg-spinner Davendra Bishoo seems to be regaining his form and confidence after a poor start this season and bowled well in his last 2 matches while his Albion teammate left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul is among the better left-arm spinners in the region but has blown hot and cold this season.
Both Bishoo and Permaul will want to bowl with a lot more patience and consistency in this game while off-spinner Zaheer Mohamed, who has adopted a strange defensive ‘middle and leg stump’ line will need to be more attacking to do his talent justice and take wickets instead of just ‘keeping things’ tight.
Both Mohamed and Permaul can bat and Royston Crandon could again be left out today with either Bess or Joseph sharing the new ball with Esuan Crandon.
The Guyanese arrived in Grenada on Tuesday afternoon and on what is anticipated to be a flat Grenada National Stadium pitch and lightning fast outfield due to the dry season in the Spice Isle, the bowlers could find work hard in this game.
If Devon Smith, the diminutive ‘shot-gun’ left-hander gets going his home fans could be in for a treat but like in previous years, the Windwards’ batting has again let them down this season.
Their batting problems will be compounded by the loss of Andre Fletcher who has been re-called for the West Indies 20/20 team to face Zimbabwe on Sunday in Trinidad.
Veteran Rawle Lewis is now a genuine all-rounder at this level while Tyrone Theophille has been among the runs this season and Liam Sebastian can bat.
However, even without West Indies all-rounder Daren Sammy, it is the bowling attack of the Windwards that inspires the most hope for their fans. Deighton Butler, Shane Shillingford, Kenroy Peters, Nelon Pascal and Lewis have troubled the region’s best batmen for the last few seasons.
With the standard of Regional First-Class cricket rapidly dipping and the West Indies taking a battering, the interest for this level of cricket in the region is far what is used to be a decade ago and even with the home team on show a large crowd is not expected.