– hails GCB for exposing U-19s to Senior Inter-County
By Brandon Corlette
The Guyana Under-19 female cricketer who played for the Guyana senior team in 2018, Cherry-Ann Fraser is among the bright prospects in female cricket in Guyana.
Born on July 21, 1999, Fraser was privileged to play in the recently-concluded Senior Female Inter-County Tournament for the Select U-19 team, where she played an integral role.
Speaking exclusively to Guyana Times Sport, Fraser disclosed that the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) took good initiative to have the U-19s play with the senior females. “This allows the junior females to gain exposure as to what a higher level of cricket looks like,” Fraser explained.
The all-round cricketer, had her best batting performance against Essequibo this
Cherry-Ann Fraser bowls during the Senior Female Inter-County Tournament (Brandon Corlette photos)
season when she smashed a scintillating 93 at Everest, in the recently-concluded Inter-County.
Fraser, who resides in Great Diamond Housing Scheme on the East Bank of Demerara, began playing cricket at the tender age of eight. In her community, it was either cricket or football; she followed the path of cricket and developed a passion for the game. At age 10, she started playing wind ball cricket, but it was not until 2018 she committed herself to the game, when she gained selection to the senior team.
Additionally, Fraser plays for ECO CHAMPS, a developmental team where she is exposed to competitive cricket around males. The tall and lively fast bowler recalled her best performance with the ball: “it was in the 2018 Regional tournament where I took 3-9 against Windwards Islands.” She admires legendary New Zealand batter Suzie Bates and the “Universe Boss”, Chris Gayle.
Fraser told this reporter that at some point in her career, more precisely in five years’ time, she is aiming to play for West Indies Women. The multitalented Fraser also plays volleyball, using her height to good effect. Reflecting on the recently-concluded female Inter-County Tournament, the cricketer believes that there is room for improvement in her personal game.
With the regional tournaments swiftly approaching, Fraser is seeking improvement in all three departments of the game –batting, bowling and fielding. She added that there was work to be done on her fitness, physically and mentally. The Select U-19 team showed much promise in the recently-concluded Inter-County contest, having won two matches in the T20 format, including a victory against Demerara. Players such as Fraser, Mandy Mangru and Shabika Gajnabi represent the talent of the next generation of Windies Women’s cricket.
