…Aims to break into Guyana Harpy Eagles set-up

TWENTY-five-year-old Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Corporal, fast bowling all rounder Joshua Jones is enjoying a successful sojourn in English First Division cricket.
The powerfully built fast bowler who has the ability to hit big sixes, is representing Bilston Cricket Club in Lestershire County after an English Cricket Agent contacted him via social media and offered him a six-month contract.

According to Joshua, the English Club sent an invitation letter to the Chief-of-Staff of the GDF who approved it. The letter was forwarded to the GS who also approved it, paving the way the talented cricketer to embark on his maiden trip to the United Kingdom.

He has captured 20 wickets in seven games so far including a six-for. In his three innings with the bat, his scores have been 0, 41 and 67.
Joshua, who plays for Essequibo at the Inter-County level, is scheduled to return home in September with the hope of getting a Franchise contract with the Guyana Harpy Eagles.
“This division is not far from County Cricket and I have seen some fast bowlers playing at that level who I feel I am better than.
So yes! I would like to play County Cricket but my focus now is finishing this season with a lot of wickets and runs and get into the Harpy Eagles and West Indies in the next two years” said Joshua who was born in Suddie on the Essequibo Coast.

Joshu said that the players train on Wednesday afternoons and Thursday mornings, while the 50-overs games are played on the weekends and the T20 matches are held on Tuesdays. The GDF all-rounder also informed that as a part of fulfilling his contract the overseas players have to do some coaching work with Children on Thursday afternoons.

“I have among the Harpy Eagles set-up since 2018 and done well in the Inter-County and Trial matches but I have never been offered a Franchise contract by the Guyana Cricket Board.
Here I get paid for cricket and coaching and don’t have to do anything else. Just play cricket, train, coach the kids and sleep” disclosed Joshua, who played for Guyana at the U-19 level from 2016-2018.
Joshua said conditions in England are very different from Guyana.

“The pitches have a lot grass… we play with the duke balls here… and the pitches have good ‘bounce and carry’ and the duke balls swing more which makes batting a bit difficult. The standard here is way higher than in Guyana” continued Joshua.

The young Pacer says he has already learned that you have to bowl full in England for the ball to swing more. This knowledge and experience should stand him in good stead when he returns home to play in the GCA tournaments.

“Another big difference between Guyana and England is the number of matches here. There are no Guyanese in this league but there are Trinidadians, Jamaicans and Barbadians. I have settled in quite well here and I went to Edgbaston when West Indies played there. Unfortunately for the West Indian fans out suffered a defeat” concluded the young man.