Review of CGI’s Male domestic cricket in 2018 Franchise league integral to Jaguars success

Dec 28, 2018 Sports

By Sean Devers

The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and its incorporated arm Cricket Guyana INC (CGI) is criticized for several things including their lack of democratic elections, the lack of focus on Female cricket, the lack of a meaningful relationship with the Demerara, Berbice Board and the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) and contracting U-15 players.
But regardless if you support the GCB or not it clear that their Franchise League and their Academy programme is working as is evident with the consistent performances of the Jaguars in Regional cricket.
Credit must go the its Secretary Anand Sanasie (who seems key in all the decisions made) along Head Coach Esuan Crandon and his assistant and Manager Rayon Griffith of the Jaguars for the systems and training programmes implemented for the elite pool of senior players.
Coaches Michael ‘Hyles’ Franco and Clive Grimmond should also be commended for the work they are doing with the Academy players who are on the fringe of national selection and who are paid a monthly salary to focus on their fitness and skill with training sessions most mornings of each week.
In addition to their skill sets and unity as a team astutely led by Leon Johnson, they are the fittest team in Regional cricket mainly due to the Academy programme which is the only such programme in the Region.
After the 50-over Franchise was held in preparation for the Regional Super50 in which Guyana reached the semi-finals, the annual three-day Franchise (inaugurated in 2015 to widen the pool for the selectors) was planned ahead of the First-Class season but was cancelled due to adverse weather and unavailability of venues.

Kevlon Anderson collects the match ball from referee Michael Rajoonauth

Jaguars 50 Overs Franchise League was scheduled to start on September 14 but the first two rounds were washed out with the first round beginning on September 17.
East Banks’ Renaldo Ali-Mohammed, followed-up his 102 against Lower Corentyne with 108 against West Demerara in the final round and was the only batsman with two centuries in the league which concluded on September 27 with Essequibo emerging champions.
Essequibo had, in the sixth round exerted their dominance in the league, when they defeated defending champions, Georgetown by 97 runs, to take an unassailable lead with one round remaining. This win proved vital, as West Berbice stunned Essequibo in the final round; beating the leaders by 115 runs.
But Essequibo still took the Championship Trophy & $200,000 by virtue of registering the most points in the league.
At Bush Lot, Essequibo had won this year’s title in the previous round since they began their final match against West Berbice six points ahead of second placed Georgetown, who could only get a maximum of five points from their final game against Lower Corentyne at Bourda.
The new Champions opted to field and West Berbice, who broke Essequibo’s undefeated run, rattled up 278-5 in their 50 overs with Gudakesh Motie (84*), Javid Karim (74), Andrew Dutchin (39 not out) and Leon Andrews (33) leading the Region-five Franchise to their highest total of the 2018 season.
Mark Williams (2-45) and Akinie Adams (2-33) were the main wicket-takers for Essequibo who fell for 163 in 38.4 overs despite an unbeaten 53 from Anthony Adams, 36 from wicketkeeper Kemol Savory and 27 from Kevin Boodie.
Kevin Jawahir had 4-40 while Kevin Sinclair and Motie had identical figures of 2-28 to give the home team an emphatic victory.
And although Leon Johnson’s 111 led GT to victory at Bourda, Essequibo, the defending three-day champions, were officially crowned 50-over Champions in a reversal of last year’s final at Providence when GT beat E’bo.
Johnson, the League’s leading scorer with 336 runs scored an unbeaten 111 and stabilised the innings when the game could have gone either way as a result of Anderson’s masterful 116 with nine fours and three sixes off 113 balls. But Johnson astute captaincy and decent death bowling ensured Georgetown prevailed by 26 runs on a flat pitch.
Essequibo’s Ricardo Adams had the tournament’s only hat-trick, while his unrelated name sake Anthony Adams was among the top wicket takers. Anthony is a bit unlucky that fellow left-arm spinners Veerasammy Permaul and Gudakesh Motie (both getting wickets for Guyana) are in his way.
Essequibo, the defending three-day Champions from 2017, won the double and their wicket-keeper batsman Kemol Savory and Ali-Mohammed were selected as replacement players when Chanderpaul Hemraj and Sherfane Rutherford were picked for Windies duties but did not play any games in the Regional Super50.
The other male tournaments held by the GCB in 2018, Berbice retained their title when they defeated Demerara by 35 runs in the final, played on February 25 at Bourda in the Dave West Indian Imports/GCB U-15 50 Overs Inter County Competition.
In a match reduced to 25 overs, due to rain, Berbice were bowled out for 88 before dismissing Demerara for 53.
The GCB Under-17 Inter County 50 Overs Round Robin Competition began on March 7 and ended on March 11 and Demerara took championship honors with 24.4 followed by Berbice with 18.1 points, Essequibo 8.9 and the Select Under-15 on 0.6 of a point. Demerara played unbeaten throughout the tournament, defeating Essequibo, Berbice and the Select Under-15 teams.
GCB/Hand in Hand Under-19 Inter County Three Day Tournament commenced on April 10 with Demerara beating the Select U-17 by an innings and 56 runs.
Demerara’s skipper Bhaskar Yadram scored an unbeaten and record breaking triple century of 301; surpassing the previous highest score at this level of 193 against Essequibo in 2004 by then Demerara captain Johnson.
Berbice then defeated Essequibo by nine wickets in two days, while the last day of the game at Everest was washed out in the match between Essequibo and the Under17 Select X1 with Essequibo having to settle for first innings points.
In the other match at Lusignan, the second days’ play was also washed out due to a soggy outfield but Berbice fought back to defeat Demerara, who had taken a 28-run first innings lead, by eight wickets.
Berbice took championship honours in the GCB/Hand in Hand U-19 Inter County 50-over Competition after defeating the Select Under-17 team by four wickets in the final at Providence, on May 4.
The Select Under-17 batted first and made 133 all out in 42.5 overs with Seon Glasgow (51) and Andre Seepersaud (46) batted well as Keith Simpson 4-33 and Kevlon Anderson 2-19 did the damage for Berbice who reached 137-6 with Javed Karim 38 and Kevin Sinclair 28 leading the way. Nigel Deodat took 3-23.