Ramdeholl to lead Guyana U-15; 10 newcomers in 14-man squad

Off-spinning all-rounder Richard Ramdeholl will lead a strong Guyana Under-15 squad in the Cricket West Indies Rising Stars Under-15, 50-over Championship, slated for April 13-24 in Antigua.

The Guyana Cricket Board announced the 14-member squad on Wednesday, naming all-rounder Brandon Henry as vice-captain.

Ramdeholl led champions Berbice to an unbeaten run in the Guyana Cricket Board Inter-County, 50-over competition in late February, while Henry was at the helm of Demerara, who ended third behind Essequibo.

Ramdeholl and Henry are among four players returning from last year’s squad, the others being wicketkeeper/batsman Justin Dowlin and all-rounder Jathneil Nurse, both of Essequibo.

The squad reads: Justin Dowlin, Lomar Seecharran, Luke Amsterdam, Shahid Ramzan, Arif Bacchus, Richard Ramdeholl, Nathaniel Ramsammy, Jathniel Nurse, Usain Fredericks, Brandon Henry, Reyaz Latif, Patrice Fraser, Rafael McKenzie and Prosper Jacobus.

The reserve players are: Khush Seegobin, Joshua Thomas, Bomesh Lall, Nathan Bishop, Tameshwar Deonandan and Tyrese McPherson.

Yeuraj Khemraj has been appointed Coach, while Yogeshwar Lall is the Manager.

At the Inter-county championship, Henry was the leading runscorer with 92 runs, with fellow Demerara player Ramzan impressing with 91, including a top score of 51 against Essequibo.

Ramzan was one of only three players to score half-centuries, with Essequibian Dowlin (55) and Prosper Jacobus (53*) of Demerara the others to breach that mark.

Bacchus of Berbice, like Seecharran of Demerara, showed consistency throughout the tournament, scoring 89 and 78 runs respectively, while Dowlin made 87.

Luke Amsterdam and Nathaniel Ramsammy also played crucial knocks during the title-winning campaign for Berbice.

Demerara leg-spinner Reyaz Latif was the joint-leading wicket-taker with nine wickets, including a best of 7-20 against the Select XI.

It was the only five-wicket haul of the Inter-county.

Select XI left-arm ‘chinaman’ bowler Joshua Thomas, who also captured nine wickets, is on the standby list.

Ramdeholl was the next best bowler with eight scalps.

Nurse earned his spot with crucial wickets and runs for Essequibo, adding depth to a spin attack that includes Ramdeholl, Henry and Latif.

In a regional tournament where bonus points could determine the champion team, the selectors have bolstered the squad with a four-prong pace attack that comprises Patrice Fraser, Rafael McKenzie, Jacobus and Fredericks.

Guyana last won the regional Under-15 championship in 2015 under the captaincy of Ashmead Nedd.