Well done Harpy Eagles, you won the war and battle at the same time.
Having to overcome a counterproductive bonus points system and to nail its final of five successive outright victories, the national cricket team crushed Combined Campuses and Colleges to zoom past points table leaders Windward Islands Volcanoes to beat the odds and successfully defend the Regional Four Day championship on Saturday.
It concluded with Guyana emerging as the lone of the top three teams to record full match points in a narrow race after the seventh and final round started in three-team battle.
Alas, Volcanoes was unable to get past its sentimental rivals Leeward Islands Hurricanes to boost its narrow 2.8 points lead over the Eagles, which stood in third place behind Barbados Pride, which eventually tumbled to a humiliating loss to the Academy rookies. Guyana’s strong finish was notched in three days for a final points tally of 103.8, well before forecasted rain, one day prior was expected to intervene in Trinidad and Tobago.
The contentious bonus points for batting and bowling targets, in stark contrast to the system used in the World Test Championships, were never a factor.
If one is to assume Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) intention to award extra points for teams to score 250-449 runs and to take the 10 wickets in each inning requirement, in addition to more for fast-bowling wickets, would make players better, it is sadly mistaken.
The great majority of West Indies players are not equipped to consistently achieve the said targets, thus it makes little sense to continue with such changes which eventually determine competition titles.
Regional players need competent coaches with the teaching skills required to improve batting and bowling techniques and be stamina fitness centric types, to go with better pitches Region-wide to foster the necessary improvement.
The low, slow strips that regional playing surfaces have declined into, are a major factor as well in the deterioration of standards in all departments for much too long , which again were embarrassingly obvious in the just concluded series.
On so many occasions it seemed much too easy for the Harpy Eagles bowlers as they mowed through opposing batting lineups in an easy romp for the most part, in compiling its unbeaten streak from round three to the finish.
Complacency never was allowed to fester and captain Tevin Imlach and company did what they had to do in the team’s impressive come-from-behind triumph to notch the country’s 13th hold on the title.
It is significant that the rain-ruined opening round clash with Trinidad and Tobago which didn’t allow the team to claim maximum points, was a factor in the Eagles’ slow start also compounded by the second-round defeat to the Hurricanes.
In cases of rain ruined games, it would be ideal for such hindrances to be addressed by possibly having such affected games replayed, to give all teams a level playing field in the quest for title glory, even if it means CWI having to dig deeper into its financial coffers.
Already such outside-the-box thinking was demonstrated when the world ruling body, the International Cricket Council (ICC) rescheduled its Test Championship final between England and India after the original date did not fit into the plans of the latter team, two years ago.
CWI might not have the world ruling body’s financial resources which is why the continued lack of sponsorship for the Region’s premier competition is becoming an embarrassment.
That setback for the Eagles would’ve roused the Guyana Cricket Board to pull out the stops to avert a failed defence of the title without retired captain Leon Johnson under whose leadership the five-year title win streak was had in the previous seven years.
Also, immediately Guyana started hitting the correct buttons when they needed to and the title chase was on.
Against full strength Barbados, boasting Test regulars Jason Holder, Kemar Roach along with captain Craig Braithwaite, the bowlers produced a stirring last-day performance so necessary at the time when the experienced Holder was anchored down and set to bat his team to victory. Paceman Nial Smith then came up with the delivery of the match, a sharp in-swinger that trapped the former West Indies captain lbw to turn the game on its head in favour of the defending champs.
Subsequently when it seemed the victory momentum would be broken by Jamaica at Sabina Park, the batsmen came to the fore with the visitors in shambles at seven wickets down for 71 runs in the first innings.
Kemol Savory came to the fore amassing his second regional ton in that remarkable recovery in round six which required crucial partnerships with tailenders Gudakesh Motie and Smith to eventually post 424 runs that set the foundation for an eventual comfortable 212-run win.
In the final encounter, with rain threatening to save Combined Colleges and Campuses (CCC), opening batsmen Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Raymond Perez adjusted as the situation demanded and attacked in unusual fashion for quick runs to beat the showers and set up the three-day triumph.
Decisions outside of the arenas were also spot on and contributed to the team’s success. The bold decision to fast forward Under-19 fast bowler Isiah Thorne to the lineup was inspirational for the youngster who rose to the challenge and ended with 19 wickets from six games.
And in dispelling the foolish notion that having two same-type spin bowlers is never done, the selectors were justified eventually as left arm orthodox spinners Veerasammy Permaul and Motie combined to wreak havoc on the Regional batsmen who had no clue.
In Permaul’s case, it was admirable to have the 34-year old continue to give yeoman service to the national team and not discarded, the way he was unjustifiably let go from the West Indies Test side.
He continues to be an asset as his record haul of 636 wickets for Guyana suggests and should be allowed to continue as long as he wants and his form permits.
In retrospect, Permaul’s fellow Berbician and talented leg spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo’s national and regional careers were cut short prematurely, not due to falling standards, rather to inconsiderate myopic selectors from his own country, at the time.
As well, the decision to extend Imlach’s captaincy responsibilities to the long format game was a wise one as it lifted his batting as well, to a career season best 485 runs including his two centuries . He thrived with the added burden and should be a shoo-in for the West Indies’ Test squad for the upcoming England tour.
With title number 13 for Guyana, in the books, notched hot on the heels of Shamar Joseph’s spectacular rise to Test stardom, these are special feel-good times for Harpy Eagles fans.
Leon Johnson, it’s good to know you were not terribly missed.
