Across the world in different sporting disciplines, siblings playing together are unique. The likes of Venus and Serena Williams in tennis or even Mitch and Shaun Marsh playing cricket for Australia. Even Darren and Dwayne Bravo for the West Indies might come to mind but in the Cinderella County of Essequibo, the Adams brothers, Anthony and Akenie have been leading from the front.
Among six siblings, Anthony is the elder of the two at 27 years old and has led the Essequibo Franchise to their first-ever titles in both the local three-day and 50-over franchise leagues with Akenie, who is five years his junior right beside him.
According to the older brother, Akenie has patterned his style in cricket after him with the pair batting right-handed and bowling left-arm orthodox. The out-of-favour national player reflected on the days of playing street cricket while growing up in Suddie on the Essequibo Coast.
“I don’t know how Kenie [Akenie] got to like cricket, he probably watched me,” Anthony joked, “Myself and our other brothers, Aulwin and Aquicey, who is one year younger than me would always be playing in the yard, we had a big yard space and a few the boys from the village, even Royston Alkins, Dillon Heyliger, Ronzel Garraway, Rondel Callendar, Jason Lucas, Adrian Hoenkirk, Floyd Henry, Mortie Miller, Randolph Raj and John Gonsalves used to come over, we even had a big man by the name of Otis, who would pass when he is taking his cows to the pasture and see me throwing the ball to the wall and had me bowl some to him or he bowled to me, so every time he passed it was our mini tournament in the yard and Akenie joined in as he got bigger.”
Akenie admitted that it was through watching his brothers play in the yard that he developed a liking to the sport at the age of six and was enrolled in the Santos Sports Club.
“Seeing my brothers play was what started my interest in cricket and after going out and playing with them in the streets, a woman, who we only knew as ‘Mel’ encouraged me to take it up and join a club,” Akenie stated.
Anthony recalled that for him, the sport seemed to be a God-given choice with the Suddie ground being a stone’s throw away from the family home and often on the weekends, they would flock the ‘landing’ (a local word for Veranda) to watch the men play the gentleman’s game.
“For me, I fell in love with cricket from early, I remember how we would go out on the landing and look over to the Suddie ground and watch the big men playing,” Anthony reminisced.
Akenie also reflected on the days of sitting on the bed with his brothers and watching cricket through the window pane with every shot cheered on by the entire group.
“I remember when we used to be on the bed looking over at the ground, all of us eager to see some big hits,” Akenie said.
Both players, the sons of David and Sheryl Adams, have come through the junior levels of Guyana’s cricket with Anthony missing out of under-15 selection for Essequibo but in the future would go on to play under-17, where he bagged five wickets including a hat-trick in his first match and three years at the under-19 level where he represented the national side on each occasion.
However, Akene had transitioned from the under-15 level onto under-19, representing Guyana each year.
In last season’s 50-over Franchise, the pair got 20 wickets collectively but the captain recalled while making 137 against West Berbice back in the 2017 three-day league with his brother at the other end is one of the most memorable moments.
“When I made the hundred in the three-day franchise, when we won the title, he was the non-striker so that was probably one of the best moments for me,” Anthony said.
However, while this is also one of Akenie’s favorite memory playing with his brother he reckoned that the 2016 Busta 40-over final where they added 85 for the seventh wicket for South Essequibo against East Bank Essequibo was the best.
“yes when he made the century, it was a good feeling, I was happy to play the supporting role and watch him play so many shots but for me, I think when we batted at NOC in the Busta final and put on a half century partnership after the team was in a bad spot was the best memory batting with him.”
Looking at how the pair has grown, Anthony noted, “It is a proud feeling playing with my brother, we both do the same thing so it is very nice for me to be around him in his career and help him.”
The level two coach posited, “Not only has he followed in the right footsteps in terms of cricket, he has also excelled professionally being the sports organizer at the New Opportunity Corps.”
Akenie labeled his brother as a motivator and a role model, pointing out, “He had a good impact on me by seeing him going out and making his name playing in club cricket as well as traveling to places like Wakenaam and Georgetown I was motivated, even now he keeps pushing me to do my best.”
