Kevlon Anderson is a batsman to watch

Oct 09, 2017 Sports

Idolises Windies opener Kraigg Braithwaite

By Sean Devers
When Kelvon Anderson made his GCB/CGI three-day Franchise debut for Lower Corentyne, he was just 16-years old but batted with a maturity that belied his age, prompting me to tell former West Indies Test player Roger Harper that I believed that Anderson was the best 16-year-old batsman in the Country.

Kevlon Anderson bats during a recent game.

He asked what had brought me to that conclusion and I said his skill level, technique, temperament, maturity for his age and his ability to consistently score runs. “Scoring runs is most important as a batsman,” Harper replied.
When I first saw Anderson, about two years ago, batting for National Secondary Schools Champions, Lower Corentyne Secondary, my first thought was ‘this little boy could bat’. He reminded me of Ramnaresh Sarwan and Leon Johnson at that age.
Anderson has the flair of a young Sarwan, Guyana’s youngest First-Class cricketer and demonstrates the temperament of a young Shiv Chanderpaul, Guyana’s youngest Test player.
The talented Berbician, who turns 17 on October 18, is still a work in progress but if handled correctly and is willing to work hard, he has all the attributes to play at the highest level.
If you chat with the teenager you quickly realise that in addition to skill with the bat, he also has a level-head and said he is working on playing the ‘middle stump full tosses’straighter instead of trying to hit them too square.
Kelvon was born to Alex and Gail Anderson and is one of eight children including two girls and grew up in East Corentyne Number 1 Road, Berbice.
Kevlon attended the Cropper Primary School and Lower Corentyne Secondary where he wrote CXC exams this year.
Anderson now attends the JC Chandisingh Secondary where he is in Grade 11 in the Agriculture Science stream and intends to re-write some subjects next year.
The teenager understands the importance of education. “It’s very important, for example, when you do interviews and press conferences you should be able to answer and understand properly. As a captain you have to think about the game plans,” Anderson disclosed.
“I got interested in cricket because of where I live. There was a lot of cricket played in the area every weekend. It was like a fun day thing in the Savannah and my brothers them used to play at Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club.
My brother, Jason told me to join the club because there was a U-13 tournament that weekend. I remember that it was a Monday, I joined since it was the first day for secondary school at Lower Corentyne secondary,” Anderson remembered.
In 2013, a 13-year-old Anderson was named ‘Best Cricketer’ at the 16th annual Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club.
He first played for Guyana in the 2015 U-15 tournament and made the U-17 team the next year, while this year he played both U-17 and U-19.
“I saw a person name Akeem Redman send a Facebook friend request. So I ask Sachin (Singh) if he knew anybody by that name from Transport Club and he said yeah. That was a few days before the U.S.A team tour to Guyana. Redman ask me if I could come and play for them against the U.S.A team.
I was like not really sure when was the game and he tell me come in the morning for 8, and that’s how a start playing for them,” Anderson explained.
His desire is to play First-Class cricket and make the West Indies Test team by the next four years and intends to focus exclusively on cricket when he finishes school.
“I am hoping when I finish school I could get an Academy contract since it would help to give full attention to cricket,” said Anderson.
He revealed that he has benefited a lot from playing with and against Guyana’s most senior cricketers in the Franchise League. His goal is to score 500 runs.
“What I have learnt most from playing in the Franchise League? I would say staying patient at the crease and pick the balls to score from. The runs gonna come once you are out there,” explained Kelvon, who scored his maiden Franchise League century (122) against East Coast at Lusignan after batting for over seven hours.
The youngster, who likes reading, playing music, playing football, Basketball and loves Macaroni and Cheese, informed that among those who have helped are Coach Julian Moore, Mr Foster, his family members and a few players like Shawn Pereira, SeonHetymer, Devon Clements, Delbert Hicks, Eon Hooper, Anthony Bramble, Jonathon Foo and Raun Johnson.
Not surprisingly his favourite batsman is 24-year-old BarbadianKraigg Braithwaite,who has 19 First-Class centuries including six at Test level and averages above 40 in First-Class cricket.
Anderson’s temperament is similar to Braithwaite’s and the right-handed opener disclosed that he favours the cut, flick and on-drive.
Anderson, whose highest score is 138 against Albion in the New York Business group U-19 tournament, explained that he prefers pace ‘first up’in his innings since he finds it easier to ‘get a start’ off the pacers and then build from that when the spinners are introduced.