Cornwall set to play 50th First-Class match

2018-2019 Regional 4-Day  Tournament…

– leading wicket-taker this season

By Brandon Corlette

The giant Antiguan Rahkeem Cornwall is set to play his monumental 50th First Class match against the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force on February 21.
Leeward Islands Hurricanes Assistant Coach Wilden Cornwall spoke to Guyana Times Sport exclusively, and it was confirmed that the 26-year-old Hurricanes player would feature in the match at St Kitts, Warner Park.
In the ongoing Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional Four-Day Tournament, Cornwall stands as the leading wicket-taker, with 36 wickets in only five matches. Cornwall has played two matches less than the second-leading bowler, Veerasammy Permaul, who has 33 wickets in seven matches.
This season, Cornwall has had two five-wicket hauls and one 10-wicket match haul against Guyana Jaguars. His best bowling figures this season is 6-70 with a bowling average of 14.72 and an economy rate of 2.29. Along with Cornwall’s 36 wickets this season, he has 271 runs with bat in hand.
The right-handed Cornwall has a solid average of 30.11 this season with the bat and a high score of 65 in the five matches he played. Known by his team-mates as “Jumbo”, Cornwall is seen as a dependable cricketer with both bat and ball. His overall First-Class career is a testament to the talent he possesses.
Cornwall, who turned 26 on February 1, has churned out top performances over the years in the First-Class arena. In his 49 matches, he has had 238 wickets bowling his controlled spin; Cornwall has captured 16 five-wicket hauls and 13 four-wicket hauls, along with two 10-wicket match hauls. With bat in hand, the 26-year-old has one First-Class century and nine half-centuries, scoring 1953 runs.
In the shorter format, Cornwall has four centuries with the bat in List A cricket averaging 35.64. He is seen as a clean striker of the cricket ball. The last First-Class match he played he grabbed nine wickets against the Windward Islands Volcanoes on February 7, 2019. On a consistent basis, Cornwall picks up important wickets for his team, either the Hurricanes or West Indies A teams.
With such stellar performances in First-Class and List A cricket, Cornwall is equipped with all the qualifications to play at the highest level despite his fitness. He has proved to be an impactful player. He is regarded as the best off-spinner in the Caribbean by most cricket analysts and cricket journalists and time is on his side. It is only a matter of time for the giant Antiguan to play for West Indies.