Regional Women’s Cricket tourney... Coach Mangru says bowling is the strength as Guyana prepare

Regional Women’s Cricket tourney… Coach Mangru says bowling is the strength as Guyana prepare

May 31, 2018 Sports

Lashuna Toussaint watches as Melanie Henry drives Kaysia Shultz at Everest.

Guyana will be hunting their first ever Regional Women’s title when they travel to Jamaica for this year’s Cricket West Indies Women’s Regional T20 and 50-over tournaments, scheduled for June 7 to 25 and Coach Bharrat Mangru feels their strength will be their bowling.
Without a title since RegionalWomen’s tournament was inaugurated in 1976 when players like Ava Morgan, arguable Guyana’s best female batter played, West Indies batter Shemaine Campbelle will hope to be the first Captain to capture the elusive title.
Mangru, a former Coach of the West Indies Blind team, is making his debut as senior Coach after taking the U-19 girls team to Trinidad in April, says that the team in which six players have previous experience of Jamaican conditions, is expected to be competitive.
“If everyone plays to their full potential I am confident that we will do well and our bowling attack should one of the best in the tournament and will be depended on to win games for us,” disclosed the 47-year-old former Police medium pacer.
The bowling will be spearheaded by West Indies pace trio Eva Giddings, Tremayne Smartt and Subrina Munroe with pace support from seamers Akaze Thompson and West Indies’ Shabika Gajnabi.
The spin will come from 20-year-old off-spinner Plaffiana Millington who has been playing at this level since she was 15. Spin back-up will be provided by off-spinner Mandy Mangru and left-arm spinner Kaysia Shultz who slit the web on her bowling during the Inter-County competition. However, Shultz showed no signs of discomfort during practice sessions.

Sheneta Grimmond drives during nets at Everest.

Four of the U-17 players who played in Trinidad are in this squad in which the only debutant being Cherry-Ann Fraser who earned her pick after impressive performances with the ball in the Inter-County matches.
Mangru said that taking all things into account, especially the adverse weather, he is satisfied with the preparation since the players were just out of the Inter-County t

Tremayne Smartt bowls to Lushana Toussaint as Akaze Thompson backs up. (Sean Devers photos)

ournament.
“We have a good mix of youth and experience and having watched the Inter-County games I feel this is the best possible team the selectors have come up with,” said Mangru.
The Coach is focusing on the batters picking the gaps and rotating the strike and the bowlers hitting consistent areas.
“The batters don’t run enough singles and mainly play in a block or hit manner. This happens even in the male format. We were hoping for at least two practice matches but the rain has ruled that out,” informed Mangru who has also coached the Demerara U-15 and U-17 Boys in the past.
Mangru believes that Guyana’s toughest opponent should be Jamaica in their own back yard.
Over the past few days the team had to be content with morning fielding drills at the Providence Stadium and afternoon nets at Everest.
Campbell and Gajnabi missed the practice sessions due to Windies commitments.
Guyana’s best showing was in 2014 in Dominica when they were beaten in the Final by Jamaica.
The Guyana 14-member squad read: Shemaine Campbelle (captain), Sheneta Grimmond, Mandy Mangru, Shabika Gajnabi, Lashuna Toussaint, Melanie Henry, Tremayne Smartt, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Erva Giddings, Kay

Coach Mangru talks to debutant Cherry-Ann Fraser during the Lunch break at Everest.

sia Shultz, Subrina Munroe, Akaze Thompson, Plaffiana Millington and Katana Mentore, Bharrat Mangru (Coach), Carol Nurse (Manager)
The reserve players are: Heema Singh, Shenika Campbelle, Latoya Smith, Dian Prahalad, Althea Newark and Casey Charles. (Sean Devers)