Home Sports Peek into the future Garfield Benjamin – poised and driven....
He is one of the names to watch in 2019 – Garfield Winslow Benjamin, the trailblazing right-handed batsman has been among the runs in youth cricket. With a sound technique, the Berbice under 19 batsman is looking forward to the New Year which may be his breakthrough season to represent Guyana Under 19 or even beyond. In an exclusive chat with <<<<Guyana Times Sport>>>>, Benjamin told this reporter that the latter 2018 cricket season he had undergone a purple patch, scoring runs with ease and grace. “From August 2018 to December, I was batting as the greatest thing ever, I will continue to work hard and make an impact in the major 2019 GCB tournaments,” Benjamin explained.
Garfield Benjamin has often been associated with greatness and possess the ability of being a natural leader and a quick learner. Born on November 3, 2000, Benjamin resides in the upper flat of the health centre, Douglas Jones Road, Fyrish Village. The stroke maker started his club career at the illustrious Tucber Park Cricket Club in New Amsterdam in 2013 after he gained entrance to the prestigious New Amsterdam Secondary (Multilateral) School.
Benjamin’s highest score was 140* against Rose Hall Canje at the Welfare Ground where he smashed the ball to all parts of the huge outfield in a limited over match. “I started playing at age four, but competitive cricket came to me at age 13,” Benjamin related.
In a cricket dominated area in Fyrish, Benjamin’s parents and the villagers strongly motivated him. At every corner, people played cricket; either in their yards, on the streets, or at the basketball court. “I’ve played some of best cricket at that same basketball court, every time it rained people would be there, you didn’t even have to call anyone. 2019 will be the final year of junior cricket for Benjamin; in the 2019 Under-19 inter-county tournament, he wants to further announce himself. The 18-year-old comes from a family with sport knowledge; his father passes on cricketing knowledge while his mother gives him the continuous support he requires. Benjamin’s favourite local cricketer is his first cousin, Shimron Hetmyer while he emulates the English star players, Joe Root and Jos Butler. His current Berbice teammate, Kevlon Anderson has been a good friend along with club-mate Reuben Latcha and Tiseena.
Scoring 40s and 50s on a continuous basis, prior to 2018, Benjamin had only scored one century. “Life is filled with challenges, in cricket my biggest challenge has been my concentration while batting and my consistency of scoring big runs,” Benjamin stated. In the calendar year, Benjamin worked tremendously hard, scoring three centuries and numerous 80s and 90s in his unforgettable 2018 season.
The son of Channon Hetmyer and Gairy Benjamin, Garfield’s most memorable innings was his match winning knock of 59 at the inter county Under 15 final against a power packed Demerara team. Benjamin represented the Guyana Under 15s once and has played for the Berbice junior teams for the past four years. In the 2018 inter county season, Benjamin was given few opportunities at the top of the order but when given the opportunity, he scored invaluable runs for the winning Berbice Under 19 team. The elegant right-handed batsman, who captains the Tucber Park First Division team in the absence of Romario Shepherd, will be hoping to bring more to the table given he has more opportunities.
