When the preliminary round of the KFC Cup regional limited overs cricket competition commences next Tuesday in Guyana, the Ramnaresh Sarwan-led Guyana side will try to continue the proud tradition set by their predecessors.
Regional limited overs competition began as early as 1973 when the Big Four, Barbados, Guyana, Trinidad and Jamaica participated in the Banks limited overs competition. Barbados defeated Guyana in the final by nine runs in the competition which has since been given List A status.
No limited overs competition was held in 1974 and 1975 but Barbados won the inaugural limited overs championships in 1976 when all six territorial teams participated, defeating Trinidad and Tobago by 43 runs at the Mecca, Kensington Oval.
The Barbadian Emerson Trotman was the first player to score a century in regional one-day cricket with an even hundred against Guyana at Bourda in 1977 when Barbados again won the title.
Guyana won their first one-day competition under the late Roy Fredericks, whose 1980 side defeated the Leeward Islands in the final of the Geddes Grant-Harrison Line competition at the Antigua Recreation Ground (ARG) in St John’s, Antigua by the wide margin of 103 runs.
The Geddes Grant-Harrison Line competition had replaced the inaugural Gillette Cup and in the final against the Leeward Islands, skipper Fredericks led from the front with a pugnacious 119. He was supported by Rupert Gomes, 57, Tyrone Etwaroo, 47, and Sew Shivnarine 46 as Guyana amassed the highest regional total of 327-7, a record which still stands today.
In reply, the Leewards never threatened and were dismissed for 224 with Ulysses Lawrence 47 and Enoch Lewis 44.
Bowling for Guyana medium-pacer Dennis Hewitt, took 3-40, while former West Indies all-rounder and current Kenya coach, Roger Harper took 2-30 and left-arm spinner and former Guyana captain, Jerry Angus, 2-36.
Since then, Guyana has won the regional limited overs title on eight other occasions.
They won it in 1983 when Clive Lloyd’s team won the double – winning the Shell Shield regional four day tournament and Jamaica in the final of the Geddes Grant-Harrison Line competition at Bourda.
Guyana’s next success came in 1985 under Milton Pydanna when they defeated Jamaica again at Bourda.
It was eight years later before Guyana was to taste success again.
This time it was Harper’s turn to lead Guyana to double triumph winning the regional four day competition known as the Red Stripe Cup and sharing the Geddes Grant Shield with the Leeward Islands after rain washed out the two days set aside for the final at the Albion Community Development Centre ground.
Carl Hooper
The most successful regional one-day Guyana skipper was undoubtedly Carl Hooper who led Guyana to one Shell Sandals (shared with Trinidad) and two Red Stripe Bowl titles.
Much like Lloyd did with the West Indies, Hooper moulded the Guyana team into a competent unit which was regarded as being among the top two teams in the region.
In 1996, Hooper led Guyana to the final of the Shell Sandals tournament in Trinidad against the Brian Lara-led Trinidad team but again, rain brought a premature end to both days play and the two teams were declared joint champions.
The following year, with their being much discussion as to which team was the real champion, Trinidad defeated Guyana at Bourda in a cliff-hanger with Guyana capitulating to the leg-spin of Rajindra Dhanraj who took a hat-trick.
Guyana’s next victory was in 1999 again under Hooper when Guyana defeated the Leewards at Dscovery Bay, when it was agreed between the WICB and the sponsors that the semi-final and final would be played in Jamaica because the tournament was being sponsored by Desnoes and Geddes, a Jamaican firm.
In 2002 Guyana, again under Hooper defeated Barbados in the final at Discovery Bay while Chanderpaul won the first of his two titles in 2004.
Chanderpaul won his second title in 2005 when Guyana defeated Barbados in the final with Sewnarine Chattergoon making 118, his second limited overs century.
(To be continued)
Winners
Season Team
1972-73 Barbados
1975-76 Barbados
1976-77 Barbados
1977-78 Leeward Islands shared with Jamaica
1978-79 Trinidad
and Tobago
1979-80 Guyana
1980-81 Trinidad
and Tobago
1981-82 Leeward Islands
1982-83 Guyana
1983-84 Jamaica
1984-85 Guyana
1985-86 Jamaica
1986-87 Jamaica
1987-88 Barbados
1988-89 Windward Islands
1989-90 Trinidad
and Tobago
1990-91 Jamaica
1991-92 Trinidad
and Tobago
1992-93 Guyana
shared with Leeward Islands
1993-94 Leeward Islands
1994-95 Leeward Islands
1995-96 Trinidad
and Tobago shared
with Guyana
1996-97 Trinidad
and Tobago
1997-98 Leeward Islands
1998-99 Guyana
1999-2000 Jamaica
2000-01 Windward Islands
2001-02 Guyana
2002-03 Barbados
2003-04 Guyana
2004-05 Trinidad
and Tobago
2005-06 Guyana
2006-07 Trinidad
and Tobago