Guyana embark on their campaign in this year’s Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional Women’s T20 tournament versus hosts Jamaica today, Sunday, at the Sabina Park Ground. The Guyanese squad winged out for Jamaica a few days ago, after more than a week of encampment at the LBI indoor facility, where new coach, Bharrat Mangru, ensured the females were properly fine-tuned ahead of the competition.
With the T20 leg being staged first, followed by the Super50, Guyana will have ideal time to get their aggression going, as they would need to come out with guns blazing over the next few days. Led by Shemaine Campbell, who has been a
notable performer for Guyana and the West Indies over the years, the Guyana team will rely heavily on their four big players: Tremayne Smartt, Erva Giddings, Subrina Munroe and Shemaine Campbell, who have all played for the Windies.
Apart from ‘the big four’, Guyana boast tons of talent in the form of their younger crop of players in the side. Off-spinner Plaffiana Millington recently told this newspaper she believes that experience coupled with youth in the team would play a key role during the tourney.
Millington, middle-order batter Lashuna Toussaint, Akaze Thompson, spinner Kaysia Schultz, all-rounder Mandy Mangru all have ideal experience at the national level, and could play a huge role in the opener against Jamaica.
The ladies endured a rain-affected inter-county as well as having the weather interrupt essential practice time before leaving these shores. Nevertheless, the women attended a West Indies Players Association (WIPA) Developmental Seminar on Friday, followed by practice.
Saturday saw the ladies engaging in their final practice session ahead of Sunday’s first of five rounds in the T20s, which will commence with an opener between Barbados and the Windwards Islands from 9:30am at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.
Match two will feature a clash between Trinidad & Tobago and the Leeward Islands at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Ground in Trinidad, while Guyana versus the hosts caps off the final match in round one. (Clifton Ross)
The 14-member Guyana Team: Shemaine Campbell (captain), Sheneta Grimmond, Mandy Mangru, Shabika Gajnabi, Lashuna Toussaint, Melanie Henry, Tremayne Smartt, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Erva Giddings, Kasia Shultz, Subrina Munroe, Akaze Thompson, Plaffiana Millington and Katana Mentore; with Bharrat Mangru as coach and Carol Nurse as manager
