Final day of T&T Academy, Guy U-19s washed out despite brilliant sunshine at Bourda

Dec 14, 2015 Sports

By Sean Devers
On a day blessed with glorious sunshine and a dry outfield which facilitated a practice session by the visiting team the entire final day of the two-day match between Guyana U-19 and the T&T’s Academy team was washed out due to soaked pitch which was covered. Umpires Hortence Issacs and Joseph Jeffrey called off the match just after Lunch.

Coach David Williams (with shades) takes his charges through practice sessions at Bourda after the match was called off.

According to the ground staff the pegs used to secure the covers were ripped out by strong winds which accompanied the rain early yesterday. The Curators lamented that there was a large ‘covers’ which belonged to Guyana Cricket Board but they were not allowed access to it.
They lamented that more manpower is needed to properly cover a pitch in a game organised by the GCB and according to them the ruling body for cricket in Guyana seems not to want to pay for extra ground staff at matches like the one unfortunately washed out in sweltering heat.
The Trinidadians were bowled out for 198 with Keagan Simmons, the nephew of Lendl Simmons, leading the way with an accomplished 71 as Left-arm spinner Ashmead Nedd, the son of former National off-spinner Gavin Nedd, taking 4-18.
By the end of play on Saturday, the tourists were 84-3 and Head Coach 52-year-old former West Indies Wicketkeeper David Williams said he was very disappointed with the washout.
The diminutive Williams, who had 42 dismissals and one fifty in 11 Tests between 1992 & 1998, said the game was well positioned to set up a good finish at the end of the first day.
“This was especially disappointing seeing that this was our only two innings game at a time when limited overs cricket seems more attractive to many young people. All of our next three games are 50-over matches and this was a great chance for us to learn the art of batting long and bowling out sides to win matches,” added Williams, who has 122 dismissals and two hundreds from 124 First-Class matches.
“This tour was organised for developmental purposes and touring to different countries and playing in different conditions are very important to a young player technical and mental development before they reach First-Class level,” said Williams who could easily be mistaken for one of his U-19 charges.
The visitors play the National U-19s tomorrow at Bourda in a 50-over encounter before opposing Demerara U-19s at Wales in West Demerara.
They play their final game on their eight-day tour in Guyana’s second largest County on Thursday when they travel to Berbice to face-off with Berbice U-19s at the historic Albion Community Centre ground which in 1977, hosted the first ever ODI in the West Indies when West Indies beat Pakistan by four wickets.