GUYANA National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) middle order batsman Elton Baker has returned from neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) where he had a fruitful season with his adopted club Rousillac United for the third successive year. Despite suffering from influenza midway through the season, Baker, who along with Travis Blyden and Kellon Carmichael, left these shores in early January to compete in the highly competitive league for the third time, felt pleased with his returns.
“I am pleased with the scores I aggregated, since I was down with flu midway the season and was forced to witness my team compete in some matches, from the sidelines. However, I came back to help them gain a creditable position in the standings, since we finished fourth while we lost out in the Twenty20 competition.”
In the two-day league tournament, Baker scored a total of 643 runs with a highest score of 97 not out, one of five half-centuries. He also picked up 31 wickets, bowling his military medium pace at an average of 24.5 runs per wicket.
In the 20/20 format of the game, he played five matches and scored 163 runs with a top score of 47 and picked up two wickets while in the 40-over format, he scored 140 runs in four games, making an unbeaten 40.
Asked about his intentions for next year, despite the dreams of newly elected president of the Guyana Cricket Board Ramsay Ali, who is looking to have the local players stay at home during the off season, Baker said, “It would be a privilege to stay at home and play during the off season, but the one question that may linger in the minds of the players is for how long they would do it, as we would be giving up contracts that we are certain of in T&T to stay home and play.” (Calvin Roberts)