Savory gets chance to share dressing room with his batting idol Says unbeaten 71 on debut is his most memorable moment

Nov 14, 2019 Sports

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By Sean Devers in Trinidad

The last few months have been a wonderful period for the left-handed Police, Essequibo and former 2014 Guyana U-19 player, 24-year-old Wicket-Keeper/Batsman Kemol Savory.

A consistent local season with the bat and gloves for Police Sports Club was followed up by 336 runs in the CGI 50-overs Franchise for Essequibo and culminated with him living his two boyhood dreams at the same time.
“It’s always been my dream to play for Guyana and at the higher level. Shivnarine Chanderpaul is my favorite batsman because I like his batting style the role he plays and that he is dependable for his team,” Savory said from the Hilton Hotel in Port-of-Spain yesterday.
His consistency with the bat resulted in the youngster who was born in 1996 to Joseph Savory and Wendy Callender, to finally break into the Guyana senior and get the opportunity of sharing a Guyana team dressing room with his batting idol.
The 45-year-old Chanderpaul, who has 30 tons and 11,867 runs from 164 Test matches and 13 List ‘A’ hundreds, 11 of them made in ODIs in his illustrious career, is the Jaguars Assistant Coach and brings a wealth of batting Knowledge to the team.
Savory was not born when Chanderpaul made his Test

debut at Bourda in 1994 and Savory informed that he has learnt so much about constructing an innings from the left-handed batting maestro from Unity Village on the East Coast.
“I was anxious for this opportunity because I have worked so hard and finally got there,” said Savory who grow up in West Demerara at Vreed-en-Hoop and Tuschen (East Bank E’bo) but most of his school holidays were spent at his Grandma in Essequibo.
But Savory was not surprised by his selection in the Super50 Squad.
“I wasn’t surprised because I know as a selector you are looking for consistency so I know I had to put in the work and be consistent which I did,” disclosed Savory who like most left-handers, favours the cut shot.
What did come as a surprise is that he would make his debut as a Keeper replacing regular Keeper Anthony Bramble who could not play due to a growth in his head that had to be surgically removed.
“I didn’t expect to keep but as a keeper I always have that mind set so it was second nature to me. Being behind the stumps before I batted meant most of the nervousness had gone away by the time I had to bat,” informed Savory, who began at youth level as a batsman and medium pacer.
In a tournament in which six batsmen have scored centuries with Guyanese Assad Fudadin (107 & 92) playing for Jamaica S

corpions, being the first batsman to reach 200 runs before yesterday’s matches, Savory is only one of two Jaguars batsmen to score a half-century.
Apart from Chris Barnwell’s 80, Savory’s unbeaten 71 against the West Indies Emerging Players on debut, which he says is his most memorable moment in cricket, included a Dilscoop off the last ball for a boundary to finish the contest.
The innings was described by Jaguars Coach Esuan Crandon as a match winning knock. But Savory batted 146 balls and faced 102 dot balls in that innings.
“I batted based on the situation around me. I will do it differently by rotating the strike more when I get to bat next time,” he assured.
“Playing for the West Indies is my dream and staying humble, grounded and dedicated to my cricket as I am today,” said Savory who credited his parents, coaches, mentors and the Vnet management and staff for supporting and helping him to reach where he is today.
More of an accumulator of runs, like his mentor Chanderpaul, Savory says he does not have a preference between facing the fast bowlers or the spinners.
“I grow up watching cricket and always enjoy the game but my interest grew more after being a part of the Scotiabank kiddy’s cricket,” revealed Savory, who attended the Vreed-en-Hoop Primary and Stewartville Secondary in West Demerara.
For relaxation Savory, who loves beef Cook-up and Soup, enjoys spending time with friends and family and playing cricket in his yard with the kids from his neighbourhood.
My goal is to be able to play my role as the stabiliser in the team and hopefully see us straight to the Cup this year.” said Savory.
Savory was in Primary School when Chanderpaul, on the back of Ramnaresh Sarwan’s three centuries and ton from Sewnarine Chattergoon in the final, led Guyana to its ninth and last Regional 50-overs title in 2005 by beating Barbados at Bourda.
“I am confident we can lift that Trophy after so long because the players are jellying well and we are putting in the extra work.” Savory concluded.

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