… depart today for St Vincent

A CONFIDENT 14-member Guyana team departed this morning en route to St Vincent, where they will be aspiring to retain both their Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional Under-19 titles.

The Guyanese captured both titles last year, and judging from the combination of the squad this year, the defending champions are in perfect order.

The core of the squad remains the same which is the biggest advantage for the Guyanese. With eight out of 14 from the current squad being part of the victorious squad last year, there is a certain sense of familiarity, which will definitely help the team achieve their objective.

Speaking with Chronicle Sport yesterday, after the squad assembled at the Chetram Singh Centre of Excellence Hostel at LBI, coach Julian Moore, is optimistic that the team can bank on its preparation for a successful defence of the titles.

He pointed out that despite the lack of turf practice, he remained upbeat of Guyana’s chances. Rain has hampered much of their preparation, but Moore feels his charges are still well-prepared for the tournament.

“I think our chances are pretty good to begin with. Obviously I’m very confident of the guys we got and their ability to perform on the big stage. Having eight players back from our championship side last year is always a plus. It not only makes us formidable but adds a lot experience to the squad, which I think would be very beneficial for the guys who will be going for the first time,” Moore said.

He added “We had a one-week encampment period, where we focused a lot on the physical, mental and practical aspects, but apart from that players were engaged in some meaningful training in their respective counties, so I am optimistic about the stability and high quality of the team”.

Moore feels the all-round potential in both departments will make Guyana a tough team to beat. 

With the format of the tournament being revamped, allowing for more limited-overs cricket, and only three rounds of matches in the three-day edition, Guyana will not face Windward Islands; neither will they take on traditional rivals Jamaica. The team with the most points at the end of the three rounds will emerge champions.

However, the limited-overs competition has been scheduled to go seven rounds, with a Canadian side set to join the six territorial teams for the tournament.

Four grounds will be used during the tournament, when the tournament bowls off on August 3.

On August 3 – 5, 2018, Trinidad and Tobago and the Windward Islands will clash at the Park Hill Playing Field; defending three-day and one-day champions Guyana and the Leeward Islands will do battle at Arnos Vale Cricket Grounds while Barbados and Jamaica face off at the Sion Hill Playing Field.

The second round of matches in the three-day component of the 2018 championships will be played from August 7 to 9. Guyana and Trinidad &Tobago will meet at Sion Hill Playing Field, Jamaica and the Windward Islands at the Arnos Vale Cricket Grounds, while Barbados and the Leeward Islands clash at the Park Hill Playing Field.

August 11 – 13 will be the playing of the third and final round of matches in the three-day competition, Jamaica will clash with Trinidad and Tobago at the Arnos Vale Cricket Grounds, Barbados and Guyana will meet at the Park Hill Playing Field, while the Leeward Islands and the Windward Islands do battle at the Sion Hill Playing Field.

The One-Day tournament commences on August 16. There will be no grand finale this year, as both three-day and one-day components of the championships will be played in a round-robin format.

Guyana squad reads: Bhaskar Yadram (capt.), Alex Algoo, Sachin Singh, Joshua Persaud, Kevin Sinclair, Kevlon Anderson, Javid Karim, Junior Sinclair, Adrian Hinds, Ashmead Nedd, Kelvin Umroa, Yeudister Persaud, Joshua Jones and  Qumar Torrington.