By Charwayne Walker
Congratulations must be extended to Essequibian and Police Sports Club all-rounder Quinten Sampson on his selection to the Guyana cricket team for this year’s Regional One Day tournament.
Young Sampson is probably unaware of his predecessors from Eve Leary that set the foundation for his elevation to National team status.
Today Stabroek News takes a look at the Police Sports Club cricketers that represented Guyana while playing for the Police Sports Club.
The Disciples.
Ovid Glasgow Wicketkeeper/ Batsman. Debut at the Regional First Class level 1967 vs Barbados GCC, Bourda.
Winston English Fast Bowler/All Rounder
Debut 1967 vs Barbados GCC, Bourda.
Winston is the first and to date the only Police Sports Club player to captain Guyana at the Regional First Class level in 1969 vs Trinidad & Tobago at GCC, Bourda.
He celebrated his promotion with a flamboyant 112.
William Jeffrey (deceased). Off-spinner. Debut vs Jamaica at Sabina Park 1970.
Milton Pydanna, Wicketkeeper/Batsman.
Debut vs Barbados Kensington Oval 1971. This Police Sports Club product went on to represent the West Indies in three ODI’s. He also led Guyana to the Regional one-day championship in 1985 while playing for the Guyana Defence Force.
Leonard Mc Rae, Batsman. Debut vs Trinidad & Tobago at Queen’s Park Oval 1971.
Keith Cameron, Fast Bowler. Debut vs Trinidad & Tobago at Queen’s Park Oval 1974.
Cameron is the first Guyana fast bowler to capture seven wickets in an innings at the Regional First-Class level. Cameron took 7 for 91 against the Combined Islands at Queen’s Park, St George’s Grenada in 1975.
Lloyd Harper, Batsman. Debut vs Barbados Kensington Oval 1977.
Vibert Johashen, Fast bowler (deceased). Debut vs Trinidad & Tobago at GCC, Bourda 1977.
Clement Neblett, (deceased). All-rounder. Debut vs Jamaica at Jarret Park, Montego Bay 1978.
It should be noted that although Neblett is a proud product of the Police Sports Club. He made his Regional First-Class debut whilst representing GCC in 1978.
Chatterpaul Singh. Left-arm fast bowler. Debut vs Combined Islands at Skeldon Berbice 1979.
Collie Solomon. Fast bowler. Debut vs Leeward Islands at Antigua Recreation Ground St John’s 1985.
Joseph Simpson. Batsman. Debut vs Barbados at Kensington Oval 1987.
Calvin Burnett. All-rounder. Debut vs Jamaica at Albion Sports Club 1988. He marked the occasion with scores of 50 and 52.
Mark Burnett, Calvin’s younger brother, who is a Police Sports Club product made the National Under 19 Team in 1989 went on to represent East Bank from where he made his Regional First Class debut vs Leeward Islands at Blairmont, West Berbice in 1994.
After Mark Burnett, it took almost 20 years for the next Police Sports Club cricketer to gain national selection.
Fast bowler, Trevor Benn, halted that drought in 2013 and was unfairly discarded without getting a chance to prove his worth at the regional First-class and List (A) levels.
Ricardo Adams added his name to the honours board at Eve Leary when he was selected to represent Guyana at the Regional One-Day level in 2017.
Now the new kid in town is Sampson who is continuing what English and Glasgow started 55 years ago.
Let’s salute our Police Sports Club trailblazers at the Regional First Class and list (A) levels.
Although Police Sports Club Wicketkeeper/Batsman Jeff Jones never represented Guyana at the regional First class and List (A) levels, he played two, one-day matches for a Guyana team led by Clive Lloyd against an International XI at GCC, Bourda and Hampton Court in Essequibo in 1982.
Jones is the first Essequibian to score an Inter-County century 103 vs Demerara at GCC, Bourda, in the 1983 Jones Cup semifinals. Honourable mention should be made of Keith Maxwell fast bowler, Hubern Carrington, all-rounder and the late Gillian Gomes leg-spinner who all represented Police Sports Club with distinction and played for Demerara at the Inter County level.
Under the captaincy of the late William Jeffrey, Police Sports Club won the 1973, 1974, 1976 Case Cup and the 1976 Rothman’s Cup and the 1977 Bristol Cup.
It should be noted that Hubert Evans also represented the Berbice Police team. He made his Regional First Class debut for Guyana vs Trinidad & Tobago GCC, Bourda in 1977.
