Guyana in sight of first title in seven years; T&T out to spoil their party

Jul 30, 2014 Sports

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By Sean Devers
Guyana, the competition’s most successful team, hunt their 13th Regional Under-19 three-day cricket title and first in seven years when they face 2010 champions Trinidad & Tobago at the World famous Bourda, Georgetown from 10:00hrs in the third and final round of the truncated 2014 tournament from today.

While Guyana has not won Championship honours since Steven Jacobs lifted back-to-back trophies on home soil in 2006 and again repeated the next year in St Kitts, the hosts are sitting at the top of the points table on 26.3 points, 1.3 more than second placed Leeward Islands who face Barbados (12 points) at Enmore.
T&T are surprisingly in the cellar position and the only team with no chance of winning the crown this year. In the other match slated to begin today the Windward Islands (21.9) face-off with double defending Champions Jamaica (20.8) at the National Stadium.
This is the 14th time Guyana is hosting the competition since 1970 and the first time since 2011. The hosts have won the title on home soil six times (1970, 1976, 1985, 1992, 1997 & 2006) and hold the record of six consecutive titles from 1992, but the final round begins with the Guyanese needing to win with bonus points to be assured of the title.
They will hope that the Leewards do not beat Barbados and Jamaica/ Windward’s game ends in a draw. Although Guyana, under the captaincy of Keith Aaron and including players like Rupert Gomes, the late William Jeffery, Robin Kendall and Robert ‘Pacer’ Adonis,  won the first ever Regional youth tournament in 1968 in Barbados, that was an Under-21 series, while the next year when Trinidad and Tobago emerged victorious the teams were Under-20s.
It was not until 1970 that an Under-19 series was organized in Guyana and T&T took the title. This year the Trinis have had a poor run, although Amir Jangoo is one of only three batsmen to score a hundred in the 2014 series.
The lads from Carnival country have had very little to celebrate after suffering an upset loss to the Windwards in the first round and after they drew with Barbados in their next, the three-match format, strangely approved by the WICB despite their claims of wanting to lift the standard of First-Class and Test cricket in the West Indies, gives T&T very little chance of bouncing back.
Guyana, who drew with the Leewards at Providence before limping to a four-wicket win against the Windwards at Everest, have the home advantage of playing at a venue where the West Indies recorded their first ever Test win in 1930 and which hosted 32 Tests and the luxury of not having to play Jamaica, winners of the last two three-day tournaments, in addition to claiming the 2013 limited over title.
The Guyanese have a powerful batting line up on paper. They are the only team with both openers having first class experience and Taignarine Chanderpaul and Shemron Hetmyer have both played for the West Indies Under-19 side. The pair is expected to give Guyana a solid foundation today. Chanderpaul scored a hundred in last year’s tournament while Hetmyer’s maiden under-19 three-day ton was scored in the last match.
Askay Homraj is the only other Guyanese with a hundred at this level, which he registered in the 2013 competition while Brian Sattuar, who could lose the Captaincy for the 50-over tournament along with Hetmyer, will need to do a lot of work on their shot selection and Sattaur on his fitness.
However, they can both hit the ball a ‘mile’ and if they get going on what should be flat Bourda track the Trinidadians could spend a lot of their time chasing leather. Kemo Paul is a genuine all-rounder while Balchand Baldeo, Sharaz Ramcharran and Kemol Savory are all capable of big scores at this level.
Paul and Keno Morris should share the new ball while Steven Sankar, the only Guyanese with a five wicket haul this year, Ramcharran and Baldeo should do the bulk of the bowling for the home side.
This is T&T’s Skipper Jeremy Solozano, also a West Indies youth team left-hander with First-Class experience, last chance in the three-day format to show why he is regarded by many as the tournament’s most complete batman.
He will expect support from Jangoo, wicket-keeper Brian Christmas, Camillo Carimbocas and Tevin Jadoo with the bat while Anderson Phillip and Samuel Roopnarine, Justin Joseph, Akil Seetal and Jadoo could have a hard day at the office if the Guyana batsmen get stuck on what should be a lightning fast outfield.

Photos of Jeremy Solozano, Taignarine Chanderpaul, Shimron-Hetmeyer
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