…“I look to take it to the end, like Dhoni”
By Akeem Greene
Whenever the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) has its back against the wall, Raymond Perez would come to the rescue with some audacious stroke play, to magnificently bail the DCC out of some dire situations.
Although an opening batsman by nature, Perez quite remarkably slots perfectly into the middle-order, and showcases great tenacity and grit to overcome sometimes very daunting odds. One college has very aptly described this batsman as the ‘Crisis Man’, a picture-perfect representation of the needed capabilities on the field of play.
In the recent Georgetown Cricket Association’s First Division Twenty20 competition, this 18-year-old prodigy took centre stage in some ‘do-or-die’ circumstances. Against the Everest Cricket Club in the semi-final, he came to the crease at 54-4 from 10 overs, and in pursuit of 161, soaked up all the pressure to blast a sensational 58*.
If anyone thought that performance was a fluke, Perez bettered it when it mattered most — in the final against the DCC nemesis, the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC). Batting first, the visitors were 63-6, and Perez again stood tall with a sublime 40-ball 54, lifting the Queenstown unit to 155-7 with his trademark straight-hitting play.
“I just look to take it to the end, like [Mahendra Singh] Dhoni always does. It then puts the bowlers under more pressure, since you have nothing to lose in the end”, the player told Guyana Times Sport on Friday.
“I am more focused on the game when the other team is on top. I like getting over pressure situations. I just look to do what I do best, which is batting,” the right-handed batsman revealed.
Though going against the norm of having the new ball peeling off of his bat due to the change in the batting order, the usual spin diet served up during the middle overs has the batsman licking his lips at the prospect of a run-fest.
“I batted about 15 times beyond 5, so I got used to it; and mostly batting there, you face the spinners, whom I always look forward to facing,” he disclosed.
The debate on the long-term impact of T20s continues to ensue, and arguments both for and against this fast-growing format are compelling. Perez sees it as breathing life into the sport.
“Twenty20 just brings more energy to the sport,” he declared. “It’s exciting, and every ball you have to focus (on). I really like the 50-over format, because it gives me more time to think, and I like scoring runs,” is what Perez had to contribute to the debate.
Life changing DCC
His early switch from GCC has been a life-changing move for which he has continuously reaped rewards, according to the youngster.
“DCC changed my career a whole lot. I could remember my first match, when I made 47 at the under-15 level, and I knew from then (that) better days were on the way. Everyone at the club has positive energy. We like getting together and lime right at the club, or even when going out; you would always see us together. It is like a family”.
