Van Lange reflects on dream first-class debut after century, CPL call-up

Guyanese West Indies Under-19 all-rounder Jonathan Van Lange has described his first-class century on debut for the Guyana Harpy Eagles as a proud moment after the teenager announced himself at the senior regional level with a commanding innings against the West Indies Academy in Antigua.
The 19-year-old right-hander scored 133 from 165 balls in the Guyana Harpy Eagles’ lone innings during their innings-and-21-run victory over the West Indies Academy earlier this week. Van Lange struck 20 fours and one six at a strike rate of 81, recording the highest strike rate among Guyana’s top-order contributors in the innings.
Speaking with Guyana Times Sport ahead of Sunday’s West Indies Championship final against the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Van Lange said he was informed of his selection in the playing XI one day before the match.

“I had known that I was in the playing XI the day before, because coach [Ryan] Hercules and the analyst had a small meeting with Thaddeus [Lovell] and I, as we were the two newcomers in the team. They basically outlined the plan and the standard that the team plays with,” Van Lange explained.
The hard-hitting all-rounder also credited his partnership approach with Matthew Nandu as a key factor behind the innings, noting that patience and capitalising on errors were central to the plan.
“Getting a hundred is always something to be proud of. Batting out there with Nandu, the plan was basically just to bat as long as possible and trust that the bowlers would miss because the wicket was a pretty good one,” he said.
“At that point in time, we just looked to bat as long as possible, and whoever made the mistakes, I looked to capitalise on them and win small battles,” he added.
Van Lange’s performances have continued to attract attention at the regional level, and on Friday he was officially named as one of the newest signings for the Guyana Amazon Warriors ahead of the 2026 Caribbean Premier League season.
Reacting to his CPL selection, Van Lange said he is focused on contributing in whatever role is required.
“I’m definitely grateful for the opportunity to be playing CPL and hopefully to be playing in the playing XI. In terms of expectations, I don’t really set a fixed goal; it’s just to do whatever the team requires me to do at the said time,” Van Lange stated. (Michelangelo Jacobus)