VETERAN all-rounder Lennox Cush has set his eyes on more success as well as ensuring Guyana gains a place in the Indian Premier League (IPL) Champions League in South Africa this year, following his second hat-trick in Regional Twenty20 cricket. Having taken his first hat-trick in Regional 20/20 cricket against Jamaica in the semifinals of 2008 Stanford tournament in Antigua, Cush displayed a level head to grab his second against the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) last Sunday at the Kensington Oval.
That scintillating and unprecedented performance did not only set tongues wagging around the venue and even in the Short and Cozier Media Stand, but also placed Guyana in the semifinals of the tournament which will be played in Trinidad and Tobago tomorrow.
In an invited comment with Chronicle Sport after achieving his feat with the ball, the 35-year-old all-rounder who also plays T20 cricket for his adopted country United States of America, said he was happy to claim the hat-trick, but happier for the success Guyana got out of the match.
“Indeed I am happy to have achieved the hat-trick, but most importantly, happy to know Guyana have won two of the games so far and we are looking forward for the third victory when we play Barbados in Trinidad and Tobago today.
“It’s always a lot of hard work but not much pressure as you only have four overs to bowl in a Twenty20 game. Which means you just have to stay focused on your four and hope you get the support from the other bowlers to keep under control,” stated Cush.
The man who can be used as the perfect example for the term ‘free agent’ in cricket, echoed the comments of his skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan who had earlier  said  the unity in the team is the best he has seen.
“We have been doing good so far, despite the lack of depth in the bowling department. Of course, our batting is our strength and what is good with our team is more than one player have stood out during our two victories to date and that alone displays complete team effort and unity.
We have a good bunch of players here and in addition to the experienced players like Travis (Dowlin), Sarwan and myself, we have a bunch of enthusiastic youngsters including Jonathan Foo who at 19 has a wonderful future ahead of him once he can remain focused,” Cush said.
He added: “He (Foo) has done well with the bat while Christopher Barnwell has also chipped in with both bat and ball, especially in the last match against CCC, where he had a solid all-round performance, but all in all, it’s a good team effort by all the players.
“Of all the Guyana teams I have played on, the unity and camaraderie of this one is the best I have seen.”
Cush feels his batting ability, wherein he was used as an opener alongside Dowlin in the victorious 2006 Stanford tournament, is not being utilised enough, but was quick to add that the balance of the team is more important than any one player.
“Yeah, I would have liked to bat higher than nine in the team. But as I said earlier, we are all working as a team and for each other because while we all want to get to show what we can do in South Africa, everyone knows that the only way we can do that is by working as a team.
“South Africa is a big motivator which in a way is good for Guyana’s cricket because it will force the players to give their best while there every time and once I can play a major role in the team getting there, I am willing to do so to the best of my ability.”
He continued, “To get Guyana there would be a great end to a magnificent tournament. I was called to play a major role in this team for this tournament, so I made some sacrifice to work on my fitness so that I can give myself a good enough chance to not only make the team, but turn in a creditable performance for Guyana all the time.
If we get to South Africa, it would do so much not only for the guys in the team, but for the country on the whole. I recalled how everyone was united and on a high when we won the Stanford 20/20 tournament and when we got home we were like heroes and it would be nice for some of the younger players in the team to experience such on our return from South Africa.”
Asked to comment on what was going through his mind when he was entrusted with the ball to bowl the final over against CCC, in which he got the hat-trick, Cush said all he was concentrating on doing is putting the ball in the right areas.
“I knew that the batsmen would be coming at me with the intention of scoring heavily, as they needed to get a decent total on the board. With that in mind, my aim and main focus was getting the ball in the right areas.
“My first delivery was dispatched over the midwicket boundary by Yearwood, but I remained focused and the end result has landed me a place in the history of Twenty20 cricket in the West Indies and I am happy, as my plan worked well for me and Guyana at the end of the day.”
He has his eyes on the prize, the camaraderie within the team is high, all they need to do is rally around one another and achieve their goal, which is to win the WICB T20 tournament and make a name for themselves and their country in South Africa.