On Thursday the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) 50 over Jaguars Franchise League is set to commence and like the three day version of the League, it is expected to feature professional players, who play Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America and Canada.
Elton Baker
However, this time around it will feature more of those returning players and one of them are the talented stroke-player Elton Baker, who has recently returned from stints with Clarke Rochard in T&T and Civics in Canada.
The right handed batsman, who is a familiar face on the local cricket arena but was out for 19 months due to injury prior to 2016 will once again aim to stake his claim for a national call up. “I have been working hard, my work ethics has never been questioned but it is a matter of making use of opportunities…I wanted to return for the three day League but unfortunately my contract did not afford me the opportunity. I would love to be offered an opportunity to play in the League. I want to play for my country and with this League it seems as though there are opportunities for me to do so.”
The 28 year old lives at Vryheid’s Lust on the East Coast of Demerara but since the junior level has played all of his cricket in Georgetown. He started at the Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) then moved to Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC). With the structure of the League he should be eligible to represent East Coast Demerara or Georgetown. According to Baker, he is willing to play for either team once given an opportunity; “At the youth level I played for Georgetown but this is a League and whichever team selects me I am open to represent.” In his last two matches in domestic cricket earlier this year (which was his first two since recovering from a 19 month break due to injury), the former North Georgetown Secondary School (NGSS) Student scored half centuries in Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) first division two day completion against powerhouse Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) and his former club GNIC.
Subsequent to that he had a short stint in T&T where he registered three fifties in five 50 over and T20 innings, with his highest score being 79.
His next assignment was in Canada where he chalked up five half centuries from ten 50 over matches with a top score of 84. Baker is valuable as an opener or middle order batsman, who is a utility bowler of leg spin and medium pace. He last dominated things on the local scene in 2011, when GCB hosted a national T20 tournament. He scored a century in that tournament, was among the top five run getters and was named man of the match in the final where he pulled off an unimaginable victory in the last two overs whilst batting.
