Corlette’s new players to watch (Part 2)…
By Brandon Corlette

With this Cricket Guyana Inc. (CGI) Academy programme in full swing and producing players for the Guyana Jaguars Franchise, players are waiting at the edges of their seats for selection. Given that the Jaguars will lose some senior players in the future due to higher representation, the future bowling department looks a revitalizing force.

In this second part of the “new players to watch” presentation, the four players examined are solid left-arm bowling options. Gudakesh Motie is no stranger to ‘List A’ and first-class cricket, and he certainly is one for the future, as are the other players being examined. Guyana has been a land blessed with left-arm spinners; Anthony Adams has also been a seasoned player, but he is simply awaiting another opportunity. Under-19 duo Ashmead Nedd and Kelvin Umroa are the other bowling options.

Ashmead Nedd

West Indies U-19 player Nedd has shown great skill at a tender age. The lad from Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) has played at the Youth World Cup twice. He came through the ranks for Guyana from the U-15 level to the U-19 level, where he dominated the opponents with his accurate bowling.
In Nedd’s most recent World Cup outing, he played six matches, claimed 11 wickets, and he had an economy rate of 3.54.

Before participating in his final Youth World Cup, Nedd rocked the maroon colours for the West Indies Emerging Players, where he played matches and grabbed 11 wickets as well. His economy rate was supreme at 3.27, and his best bowling figure was 4-29.
The 19-year old left-arm spinner has also been around the Guyana Amazon Warriors camp in the 2019 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL). Nedd should be invested quickly, and he deserves a taste at first-class cricket any time soon.

Anthony Adams

A humble lad from Essequibo, Adams led his county to three-day and 50-overs championship wins. This 27-year-old, who played for Guyana U-19s, has dominated local cricket but had been one of those unlucky players to be given limited opportunities. With the senior Jaguars spinners reaping success, Adams took the back bench in terms of selection.

In the 2017-18 season, Adams had one taste on Regional 4-Day cricket. Adams has since toiled away at the local level with dominance, he has also added to his CV the elevation to being a Level Two Coach. In the last CGI 50-over franchise, Adams struck two fifties and claimed 13 wickets, demonstrating a rich level of consistency.

Kelvin Umroa

Albion has been the place of production of the high-profile left-arm spinner. Guyana U-19 spinner Umroa has been among the latest of these productions. Umroa has come through the ranks from Guyana U-15 to Guyana U-19, and is now an Academy player. Umroa, who narrowly missed out on selection for the West Indies U-19, reigned supreme in inter-county tournaments. In his final junior inter-county tournament, he claimed 31 wickets, the most by a bowler in 2019.

This lad had also featured in West Indies Youth camps, and with the guidance of his clubmates Motie, Veerasammy Permaul and Devendra Bishoo, he is likely to develop into a future Jaguars player.

Gudakesh Motie

Motie is the most seasoned campaigner among these players examined. At 25 years old, he has a lot of cricket in him. He played 29 first-class matches and has 100 wickets, while he played 11 ‘List A’ matches and has 10 wickets. The lad from Albion has been dominating at local levels, but of recent his opportunities have been limited.

Given that Motie continues to work hard and remains patient, he will be a longserving player for the Jaguars when the senior players call time on their careers. Motie may suit as a like-for-like replacement for Permaul when the time is necessary. He will certainly lead the spin attack in the near future.