With three experienced players adding reinforcement to the squad, the Guyana Harpy Eagles will continue their defense of the West Indies Championships’ title when they head into Round 2 today.
The Harpy Eagles will be taking on the Combined Campuses and Colleges at the Guyana National Stadium (GNS) at Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD) – the same venue where they whipped Barbados by 10 wickets inside three days last week. On the eve of that encounter, Captain Tevin Imlach has said he is happy to return with the team being off to a good start, and noted that it is ideal for their momentum.
“(In) any tournament, it’s important that you start well. So, it’s good to see the guys in good form and they hit the ground running in this tournament,” a beaming Imlach shared.
The wicketkeeper-batsman added, “Obviously, momentum was a big thing in this cricket. So, it’s always important to start well; and against a good opposition like Barbados, it feels good. I know the guys will take a lot of heart from it, and, hopefully, they can build on it going forward.”
Imlach, who lifted the trophy in 2024 during his first year as captain, shared that the GHE would be taking the 2025 season one game at a time.
Responding to questions about whether the GHE are under pressure to retain their title, Imlach said, “Not really! I mean, we’re trying to take it a game at a time. Last year, Windward was in this position. They started well, and they didn’t end up winning the tournament. So, for us, it’s important that we play a game at a time and focus on that, and the end result will take care of itself.”
Alongside Imlach, Kevin Sinclair returns from West Indies duty, while Shamar Joseph is back from injury.
In articulating the potential of Joseph to have a massive impact on the team’s performance, Imlach has said,
“In terms of Shamar Joseph, happy to see him back. You know, he hasn’t played in a while. He’s important. He obviously is a big part of Guyana cricket, and, moving forward, I’m sure he will have a massive impact in this competition.”
Joseph himself has spoken of how happy he is to be back in the Harpy Eagles camp.
“It’s actually been great for me. Coming out off of an injury is not the best way we would’ve wanted to start back 4-day cricket, but it’s good to be back out here among the men, and a great bunch of guys (they are),” Joseph told this publication during Tuesday’s training session.
Joseph last played red ball cricket at Providence in August 2024, when he took a five-wicket haul against South Africa, and he expressed an intention to replicate his stellar performance and take as many wickets as he possibly can.
