West Indies Championships: Thorne gets GHE call-up; Beaton gets flagged for bowling action
West Indies under-19 speedster Isai Thorne is heading to St. Kitts and Nevis as he grasps his opportunity to represent the Guyana Harpy Eagles (GHE) in the ongoing Regional 4-Day Championships, after being drafted as replacement for Ronsford Beaton.
Beaton, who picked up two wickets in the Harpy Eagles’ abandoned match against the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force last week, has been called for a suspect bowling action — at the very West Indies Championships where last year he was reported for his bowling action. The Essequibo pacer had missed the final round in March, but had been cleared in May 2023.
Ronsford Beaton has again been flagged for his bowling action
Beaton’s issues, with his bowling action being reported, dates back to 2017.
Fresh off a solid ICC Men’s U19 World Cup experience, Thorne, one of Guyana’s top pace prospects and the Windies most recent find, will play a key role in the Eagles’ fast-bowling department, alongside Ronaldo Alimohamed and company.
In the recently concluded ICC Men’s U19 World Cup, Thorne bagged 8 wickets in 5 matches in South Africa, inclusive of a 4-wicket haul against Scotland’s Under 19s. This was Thorne’s second stint at the U19 World Cup.
Meanwhile, the Guyana Harpy Eagles have had to settle for a draw in their first match of this year’s West Indies Championships, after rain played spoilsport. After the first day had been rained out, as had a portion of the third day, the remaining days’ play were hampered by a wet outfield.
In the first day’s play, the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force had managed to score 215/4, with Jason Mohamed slamming a century and Beaton claiming figures of 2-39 from 12 overs, as he took the wickets of Cephas Cooper and Jyd Goolie.
The Harpy Eagles will come up against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes in Round 2 of the West Indies Championships, set to bowl off on Wednesday, February 14 at Warner Park in St. Kitts.
