Congratulations and heartfelt thanks to skipper Leon Johnson for leading Guyana to its 13th Regional First-Class Championship.
The skipper said farewell in grand style just like Sir Clive Lloyd did in 1983 after winning the double the Shell Shield and the Geddes Grant Harrison Line competitions. Sir Clive never featured for Guyana again in first-class cricket.
Today Stabroek Sports will look back at the men that brought the bacon home for the land of the Majestic Kaieteur Falls 50 years ago in 1973.
This is how our first Regional first-class triumph started.
Skipper Rohan Kanhai and his troops invaded St. John’s, Antigua in January 1973 and ambushed the Combined Islands at the Antigua Recreation Ground. Guyana batted first and were all out for 282 the skipper Rohan Kanhai leading from the front with 117, the late Stephen Camacho scoring 58, Milton Pydanna 41 and Sir Clive Lloyd 32.
Norbert Phillip was the best Combined Islands bowler with 4 for 58, Elequemedo Willet took 3 for 67 and the late Grayson Shillingford 2 for 53.
The Combined Islands first innings score was 135 all out with Livingstone Sargeant making 35 and Willet 29.
Pacer Philbert Blair took 4 for 26 and Lance Gibbs 4 for 51. Guyana’s second innings score of 206 all out saw Camacho making 50, Randolph Ramnarace 33 not out and Romain Etwaroo 33.
Bowling for the Combined Islands, Willet took 3 for 58, Shillingford 2 for 35 and the late Alford Coriette 2 for 46.
The Combined Islands in their second innings fared much better being all out for 255 to lose by 98 runs. Livingstone Sargeant 55, the late Irvin Shillingford 36 and Mike Findlay 24 were the principal scorers.
The men that did the damage for Guyana were assassins Lance Gibbs and Blair.
Gibbs took 6 for 85 giving him match figures of 10 for 136 and Blair 3 for 53 giving him match figures of 7 for 79.
The DCC duo took 17 of the 20 Combined Islands wickets in the match.
After conquering the Combined Islands in Antigua skipper Kanhai and troops descended on the Islands of Barbados for the battle of the giants at the Kensington Oval February 2, 3, 4, 5.
That match ended in a draw.
Barbados scored 438 all out in their first innings with Peter Lashley 144, Geoffrey Greenidge 99 the late David Murray 71 and Gordon Greenidge 44. Bowling for Guyana Rex Collymore took 2 for 84, Blair 2 for 85, and Gibbs 2 for 99.
In Guyana’s first innings of 322 all out, the late Roy Fredericks made 118, Ramnarace 59, Alvin Kallicharran 26 and Sir Clive Lloyd 24.
Bowling for Barbados the late David Holford took 4 for 77, Tony Howard 2 for 47 and Stephen Farmer 2 for 52. Barbados in their second innings reached 134 for 6.
Gordon Greenidge 29
Stephen Farmer 29
Nolan Clarke 21 not out
Bowling for Guyana Rex Collymore took 2 for 21, Fredericks 2 for 38.
The next assignment for skipper Kanhai and troops was Jamaica who found themselves in No Man’s Land at GCC Bourda February 24. 25, 26, 27. This mission was code named `Search and Destroy’. Jamaica first innings score of 323 all out the skipper Maurice Foster led from the front with 118, the late Renford Pinnock 93, Lawrence Rowe 47. Bowling for Guyana Lance Gibbs took 4 for 53, Sir Clive Lloyd 3 for 34, the late Keith Glasgow 3 for 72. Guyana’s first innings 457 for 9 declared Alvin Kallicharran 135 skipper Rohan Kanhai 92, Roy Fredericks 69, Stephen Camacho 69. Bowling for Jamaica the late Arthur Barrett took 3 for 133, Maurice Foster 2 for 72, C. Lawson 2 for 69. Jamaica second innings 98 all out, Michael Holding, top scored with 15, Arthur Barrett 13, L. Levy 13 not out. Bowling for Guyana Lance Gibbs took 6 for 39 giving him match figures of 10 for 92 his second 10 wicket match haul of the tournament, pacer the late Keith Glasgow took 4 for 43. Skipper Kanhai and troops concluded their 1973 Search and Destroy Mission by outplaying Trinidad & Tobago at the Skeldon Community Centre on the 1, 2, 3, 4 of March and in the process lifted Guyana’s First Regional First-Class Championship.
Guyana’s first innings 474 for 4 declared Stephen Camacho 144, Leonard Baichan 134, Sir Clive Lloyd 100 not out, Roy Fredericks 81. Bowling for Trinidad & Tobago Imtiaz Ali took 3 for 123. Trinidad & Tobago First innings 269 for 5 declared Deryck Murray 105 not out the late Richard DeSouza 60, Charlie Davis 50. Bowling for Guyana Keith Glasgow took 3 for 84: Guyana second innings 306 for 3 declared Stephen Camacho 98, Roy Fredericka 71, Alvin Kallicharran 52 not out, Rohan Kanhai 52.
Bowling for Trinidad & Tobago Bernard Julien took 2 for 68. Trinidad& Tobago second innings 143 for 2, Richard De Souza 69 not out, Richard Gabriel 51 not out.
Result Match Drawn
The Guyana Heroes 50 years ago.
Rohan Kanhai- Captain
Port Mourant Everest
Alvin Kallicharran- Port Mourant GCC
Roy Fredericks- deceased DCC
Sir Clive Lloyd- DCC
Lance Gibbs- DCC
Philbert Blair- DCC
Leonard Baichan- Port Mourant Everest
Keith Glasgow- deceased GCC
Milton Pydanna- WKT Police
Stephen Camacho- deceased GCC
Randolph Ramnarace- Port Mourant
Romain Etwaroo- Port Mourant
Rex Collymore- Malteenoes
Adjodha Persaud- Everest
Rupert Gomes- GCC
Sydney Matthews- DCC
Before Kanhai’s triumph in 1973, the Land of Many Waters had won the Regional
First-Class Championships the following years.
George Garnett 1935.
William Maurice Green 1929 Inter Colonial Tournament.
William Maurice Green 1934 Inter Colonial Tournament.
Oscar Wight 1936 Inter Colonial Tournament.
Vibart Wight 1937 Inter Colonial, Clyde Walcott 1956 quadrangular Tournament.
Clyde Walcott 1961 Pentangular Tournament
Clyde Walcott 1964 Regional Tournament.
