-encampment begins in Barbados from Tuesday

GUYANA’s Regional four day captain Leon Johnson along with opener Assad Fudadin, fast bowler Ronsford Beaton and leg- spinner Devendra Bishoo, were recently named in a 13 man Sagicor High Performance Centre Team, which will host the Bangladesh A Team in a seven-match series in Barbados from May 26 to June 15. 

The two teams will meet in two four-day matches, three 50-over matches and two Twenty20s at Kensington Oval, Desmond Haynes Oval, 3Ws Oval and Windward Cricket Club respectively.
The 26 year old Johnson, who was appointed Guyana’s captain for this year’s Regional four day season, missed the first three games through a knee injury, but returned to take over the reins and scored his maiden first class ton, 110, against the Leeward Islands.
He came away as Guyana’s leading run scorer, aggregating 295 runs at an average of 59.00 from the three matches he played, while his overall average stands at 31.48 from 48 matches, in which he has scored 2, 519 runs.
Anthony Bramble was second to Johnson in the runs column for Guyana, scoring 12 runs less than the Georgetown Cricket Club left hander, while Fudadin was third with 273 runs at an average of 27.30 with a top score of 82 against Windward Islands at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
However, while Fudadin played five matches, Bramble played all six and Johnson three, with Fudadin being forced to miss the final round game against Trinidad and Tobago, due to back injury.
It was in that game, that Bishoo, who was axed from the previous game, took a match haul of 15 for 149 to finish with 28 victims for the season at an average of 18.39, second only to Veerasammy Permaul’s 29.
Plagued by injury which saw him being unable to play in all the matches for Guyana, the 21 year old Beaton only played three matches in which he took three wickets at an average of 63.00, way below his expectations.
Nevertheless, the selectors have included him in the lineup along with Sheldon Cottrell and Miguel Cummins to take care of the new ball for the home team, with amicable support from Fudadin and Carlos Brathwaite, who can also handle his own well with the bat.
The players will assemble in Barbados on Tuesday for a camp leading up to the series and the full squad reads: Sunil Ambris, Ronsford Beaton, Devendra Bishoo, Jermaine Blackwood, Carlos Brathwaite, Kraigg Brathwaite, Jonathan Carter, Sheldon Cottrell, Miguel Cummins, Assad Fudadin, Leon Johnson, Ashley Nurse and Chadwick Walton

The MATCH SCHEDULE is as follows:
May 26-29: 1st Four-day match at Windward Cricket Club
June 2-5: 2nd Four-day match at Kensington Oval
June 8: 1st 50-over match at Kensington Oval
June 10: 2nd 50-over match at Windward Cricket Club
June 12: 3rd 50-over match at Desmond Haynes Oval
June 14: 1st T20 at Kensington Oval
June 15: 2nd T20 at 3Ws Oval

(By Calvin Roberts)