Coach says it was a learning experience for his players as USA Tri-State beat GT XI 3-2

Aug 15, 2022 Sports

By Sean Devers

Kaieteur News- The USA Tri State U-17 Development team ended their two-week tour to Guyana with a 31-run victory over the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) U-17s at Bourda last Saturday to win the five-match 50-over series 3-2 and capture the Roger Harper Trophy.

The tour, badly affected by inclement weather, also included a game against Everest in which USA’s Ruhan Swar’s 106 was the only century registered in the six matches the visitors played in the City.

Ruhan Swar with 282 runs was Tri State’s leading batter on tour. (Sean Devers photo)

The tourists, who were hosted by the GCA, was coached US based former Guyana pacer Linden Fraser with former National U-17 coach Orin Bailey filling in for Fraser who arrived late due to cricket related work in Florida.

In their first match at Everest the Americans beat the GCA XI by 43 runs before losing by 135 runs in the next game against the GCA XI.

The US rebounded to win the third game by four wickets before the City lads levelled the series 2-2 by winning by 20 runs in their first game at Bourda before the tourists won on Saturday to take the series.

The USA Tri State U-17s also played Everest at Everest in the second match on tour and led by a masterful 106 from Ruhan Swar and 88 from Amogh Arepally beat the host by 102 runs.

Kaieteur sports caught up with Fraser yesterday just before he departed Guyana and the 57-year-old Berbician described the tour as a good experience for his team.

“It was a good experience for the youngsters after having to sit for a few days in the hotel. Because of the rain they were getting frustrated and really wanted to get out on the field,” said Fraser who took three wickets in four First-Class matches between 1983 and 1990.

GT’s Myhiem Khan was the leading wicket-taker with 9 scalps.

Fraser, who played one First-Class match for Guyana in the 1984 Shell Shield against Jamaica, informed that it was always a learning process for his young charges.

USA Tri-State U-17s Head Coach Linden Fraser.

“Our USA boys are not accustomed to playing on turf and being able to do so here was a great learning experience for them. The mental part of their game will also improve from playing in different conditions coping with different situations.

I was most pleased by the fighting spirit shown by both teams, the hunger the high standard of every game while we were here,” continued Fraser, who’s best First-Class figures were 3-87 for Berbice against Demerara in 1988.

“We were supposed to participate in the Basil Butcher Memorial U-17 tournament, hosted by GCA with about 13 teams participating.

The disappointing part was the leadership of the GCB did not give their blessings to this tournament although Mr Basil Butcher Snr is known in the cricketing world as one of our legends. Butcher cared about the development of young cricketers as he often showed when on visits to the USA and always found the time to share his knowledge and experiences.

Wonder what the late great is saying about what appears to be a personal vendetta the GCB has against the GCA,” the experienced Fraser asked.

“We’ve players from both sides that I’ve seen over the years has improved their overall performance, batsmanship, bowling, fielding, we now need to continue to work on the mental part of our game. I’ll advise that age group cricket needs only two or three-day cricket matches along with 50-overs ……thanks to our host GCA,” Fraser concluded.

Skipper Anirudh Bolisetty bowled with pace and was one of four batters in the USA Tri State to reach 50.

Leading run scorer in the 5-match series Shiloh Adams (left) & Jadon Campbell were two best batters for the GT X1. (Sean Devers photo)

The right-handed Swar was their leading run scorer with 282 runs including a ton and made 176 in the five match series against the GCA XI. He looked easily the best batter on show.

In addition, Arepally and Siddarth Kappa were the other batters to reach a fifty, while 13-year-old left-hander Tanish Dongre showed excellent technique and temperament and is one to look out for in the future when he gets bigger and stronger.

The USA bowling was led by Bolisetty and left-armer Rounak Rao who finished with eight wickets each in the five-match series.

Left-arm spinner Siddhant Rai was expected to be the USA team’s best judging from his work on past tours here, but, affected by an ankle injury he had a poor tour with the ball, most time bowling too flat and short. Tanmay Joshi did not look too bad.

For the City lads, little left-hander Shiloh Adams, who is also a competent ‘Keeper’, scored the most runs in the series (179) and along with Jadon Campbell (127) are the two best batters, while Shaquan Walters (126) and Riyad Latif (124) were among the top five runs scorers in the series.

Off-spinner Myhiem Khan, who at times bowled too fast, which did not allow the balls to grip and turn, was the leading bowler in the series with nine wickets.

GCA’s leg spinners Latif and Stephon Sankar along with left-arm spinner Brandon Henry had eight wickets each and were among top five wicket takers in the series.