Kemol Savory ready to take up middle-order role in Guyana Harpy Eagles team

By Brandon Corlette

The Guyana Harpy Eagles will be without the services of middle-order batsmen Shimron Hetmyer and Vishaul Singh from last season. In the 2023 West Indies Championships, the Regional Four-Day tournament, Kemol Savory will be aiming to grab his opportunity in the middle order for the Guyana Harpy Eagles.
In an interview with Savory, the 26-year-old Essequibian has said playing first-class cricket is like a dream come true. “Basically, how it set-up, I think it might be five. That is pretty good for me, because the sheen is off, and I am a batter looking to score. I am busy between the wickets, so five is good for me,” he explained.
“It is a great feeling. It is like a dream come true for me. I always wanted to play first-class cricket. The longer format, I always want to challenge myself, especially when it comes to batting for long periods,” Savory told this daily publication.

In the recent Guyana Harpy Eagles trial matches at Providence, Savory scored a majestic 170 from 192 balls. Reflecting on that innings, Savory said: “We were fielding, and I saw the wicket was a pretty good one to bat on. I always had it at the back of my mind that when I had the opportunity to bat, I want to make full use of the opportunity. I was confident, because I knew it was a good wicket to bat on. Once the ball presented itself, I just looked to stay positive at all times.”
Last season, Singh was among the top run-getters in the Guyana side. He will, however, not feature this season. With that middle-order spot up for the taking, Savory is the man eager to score and make that spot his own.
“First thing, if I get the opportunity, I want to grab it with both hands. Some of the senior guys are not around, so it is fair that I grab that with both hands and make it count,” Savory has said.
The left-handed batsman has played nine List A matches and has recorded two half-centuries thus far. He noted that he has taken away some of the learnings from that level, but first-class cricket requires more concentration.
“List A cricket is a step close to playing cricket for West Indies. You do not have a lot of bad balls at that level, so when you do have a chance to score, you have to make use of it. the difference between first-class and List A is the longer format, with the red ball where you have to test yourself and technique and mental aspect of the game. All of that comes into the first-class level, the longer format,” Savory added.
The Guyana Harpy Eagles squad is: Leon Johnson (Captain), Veerasammy Permaul (Vice Captain), Chandrapaul Hemraj, Matthew Nandu, Kemol Savory, Tevin Imlach, Anthony Bramble, Kevin Sinclair, Nial Smith, Ronsford Beaton, Akshaya Persaud, Ashmead Nedd, and Shamar Joseph. The Manager is Albert Clements, Head Coach is Ryan Hercules, Assistant Coach is Garvin Nedd, Cricket Analyst is Keshava Ramphal and Physiotherapist is Angelica Holder.
The Guyana Harpy Eagles will play Barbados Pride at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua from February 1, 2023 to February 4, 2023, and Windward Islands Volcanoes at the National Stadium in Grenada from February 8, 2023 to February 11, 2023. After the two rounds, the tournament will break for the remaining three rounds in Trinidad and Tobago.