With Essequibo one match away from winning their first major title at any level in Guyana’s cricketing chronicle, skipper Anthony Adams says that there is no room for complacency heading into today’s final round encounter against third-place West Demerara at the Tuschen Sports Club Ground.
“We are very confident heading into the game, but at the same time, there is no room for complacency because we are playing one of the better teams in this tournament; a team that is in third,” Adams outlined.
Touching on how it feels to be in the unfamiliar position of winning a championship, he added, “The feeling is a very good one knowing that we have done a lot of the hard work and there is only one game and we just want to end with a win,” the left-arm spinner who is leading from the front, noted.
Essequibo are unbeaten after six rounds, and are currently atop the points table with 79.9 points, while Lower Corentyne with 66.7 points, sits in second place, as West Demerara occupies the third position on 58.1 points.
A championship, Adams revealed, will encourage more persons in Essequibo to invest in the sport while it may encourage others to hold a keener interest in the sport.
Adams, on a personal note, indicated that he intends to end the tournament on a high note after his impressive run with both bat and ball in the league thus far.
The encounter between Essequibo and West Demerara holds the added spark of Tagenarine Chanderpaul coming up against his father, former West Indian Test legend, Shivnarine Chanderpaul who should hold Essequibo’s batting together, in the absence of Keemo Paul and Ricardo Adams who are on national duty at the Antigua and Barbuda Cricket Association T20 Independence Cup.
Meanwhile, the other final round fixtures will see Georgetown
taking on Upper Corentyne at Port Mourant, West Berbice against Lower Corentyne at Bush Lot, while East Coast and East Bank clash at Everest. Matches begin at 9:30 hours.
The winner of the league will pocket $500,000 and the runners-up $300,000 while there are also cash incentives for top individual performers.
The league is basis for the selection of Guyana’s regional four-day team to defend the title which it has won for the last three years.
