Two of Zeeburg Cricket Club’s (ZCC’s) most senior players — Yutesh Dhanpaul and Balbiner Shivpersaud — have been drafted into the Commonwealth Cricket League currently being played in New York. Having successfully represented the ZCC in local tournaments staged in 2018 and 2019, they now represent the West Coast Warriors Cricket Club (WCWCC) in the New York League.
Balbinder Shivpersaud and Yutesh Avi Dhanpaul
In an interview with Guyana Times Sport, coach and member of the WCWCC, Yutesh Dhanpaul, was asked about his experience, and he replied as follows, “The cricket here is very competitive, (there are) lots of matches. I would say the cricket over here is much more organized, and is run more efficiently. Only challenges are the outfield, ‘cause the grounds and park have to be clipped to certain criteria.
“This is my fourth season playing in New York, and also as a coach. In terms of my experience: well, on my behalf, I played cricket out of Guyana a lot. (I) used to play in my youngster days in Barbados. However, it’s an outstanding experience, because you get to play with lots of other cricketers: from Bangadesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and, of course, Caribbean players.”
He related that his fellow Zeeburg team mate Shivpersaud is currently enjoying the conditions the wicket has to offer because of its consistency of bounce and pace, which enables him to play his shots.
Thus far, each player has played 6 matches, and Shivpersaud said he has made scores of 24*, 19, 81*, 54, 56*, 59*, while Dhanpaul has played 3 innings in the six matches, with scores of 33, 117 and 29* even as he bagged 10 wickets with his off-spin.
Shivpersaud currently has scored 289 runs in 6 innings, with his highest being 81. He has made 4 half-centuries and has had 4 unbeaten innings.
Dhanpaul says he has made 183 runs from 3 innings, with one unbeaten innings and a high score of 117.
In closing Dhanpaul said, “We are looking to win the tournament and impress our sponsors so, come next year, they won’t hesitate to invest in our team. Our success is owed to our Zeeburg Sports Club president, Dhanpaul (only name), and our treasurer Omar Narine. These guys invest their time and money in organising various tournaments for us to play cricket every week in Guyana. Thus, when we hit foreign fields, we represent the nation well.”
