TEMPERAMENTAL Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) opener Robin Bacchus is the lone new face selected in this year’s Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) 14-man squad to contest the West Indies Cricket Board’s NAGICO Super50 tournament in Trinidad and Tobago.

West Indies T20 all-rounder Christopher Barnwell has been appointed skipper of the Guyana team for the tournament which bowls off this month-end, with dependable middle-order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul as his deputy.
The 27-year-old Barnwell, who has appeared in 17 List A matches for Guyana, leads a squad that also includes former Guyana and West Indies skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan and Narsingh Deonarine, along with Royston Crandon, Assad Fudadin and Leon Johnson.
Bacchus is expected to start the team’s batting with the pugnacious Trevon Griffith and should either one of the two openers fail to get going, then Fudadin, who has opened the batting for Guyana on several occasions, would be thrust into that position.
Sarwan, Johnson, Chanderpaul, Barnwell and Crandon will follow in the middle order, with wicketkeeper/batsman Anthony Bramble, who can also fill in as an opener if needed, leading the lower order batting lineup.
Leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo and his Albion Cricket Club spin twin, left-arm orthodox spinner Veerasammy Permaul, who led Guyana during last year’s tournament, will take charge of the spin department while supplying support to the batting.
West Indies Under-19 speedster Ronsford Beaton and national T20 fast bowler Paul Wintz will be the men in charge of the new ball, with added support from Barnwell and Fudadin.
The 14-man squad reads: Robin Bacchus, Trevon Griffith, Leon Johnson, Shivnarine Chanderpaul (vice-captain), Narsingh Deonarine, Christopher Barnwell (captain), Ramnaresh Sarwan, Royston Crandon, Assad Fudadin, Anthony Bramble (wkp.), Devendra Bishoo, Veerasammy Permaul, Ronsford Beaton and Paul Wintz.
Meanwhile, the National Team engaged a Rest XI in a practice match at the Everest Cricket Club ground yesterday, the second of five in which they came out on top by 26 runs after bad light stopped play.
Led by Barnwell’s robust 84 (80 balls, 10×4, 3×6) the National XI scored 251 for 9 from their 50 overs, with Ramnaresh Sarwan 35 (3×4), Shivnarine Chanderpaul 32 and Veerasammy Permaul 18 not out (1×4, 1×6; 8 balls) offering support to Barnwell who posted his 50 from 61 balls, with five fours and one six.
Keon Joseph, who knocked over Chanderpaul’s middle stump in the final over of the National XI’s innings, ended with 3 for 59 while Amir Khan took 2 for 42 for the Rest XI, who reached 194 for 7 off 46 overs, when bad light stopped play, handing the National XI victory by 26 runs, due to a faster scoring rate.
Sewnarine Chattergoon led his side’s batting with 44 (74 balls; 6×4), Rajiv Ivan, who was axed from the team offered support with an unbeaten 37 (49 balls, 2×4) while Fudadin and Jonathan Foo both made 34, with Fudadin facing 78 balls and hitting two fours and Foo 32 balls with three fours, even as Bishoo took 3 for 27 for the victorious National XI.

(By Calvin Roberts)