Gearing up for "tough test against Aussies" Victory over Leewards was "big boost" for Guyana
Roseau, Dominica – Devendra Bishoo had a successful start to the 2012 Regional 4 Day competition with a brilliant eight-wicket match haul for Guyana as they beat Leewards Islands last weekend at Windsor Park in Dominica.
The leg-spinner, who had match figures of 8 wickets for 70 runs off 20.5 overs said he "felt good overall" even though he was not at his best in the early stages of the match. He is hoping to make gradual improvements in the build-up to the Digicel Series against Australia next month.
The 26-year-old, who won the International Cricket Council’s Emerging Player of the Year award last year, is also looking forward to Guyana’s second round Regional 4 Day match against Windward Islands, also in Dominica. First ball on Friday is 10 am (9 am Jamaica Time).
"I came into the four-day tournament after coming off the Caribbean T20 tournament, so I would say I was not at my best throughout the match. I was still happy with the way I bowled overall and I was very happy with the way we played as a team. In the T20 tournament I was bowling just four overs, so it’s good to get back into the long version of the game and be able to plan a bit more and get some overs under my belt," Bishoo said.
The Guyanese recorded a comprehensive victory by 234 runs over the Leeward Islands, to go top of the Regional 4 Day table alongside Jamaica, who beat Windward Islands, and Trinidad & Tobago, who beat Combined Campuses & Colleges.
"We played some good cricket in the first match and got a good win, which was a big boost for the team. When we left Guyana there were a lot of things happening but we stayed focussed and we were not distracted. That win did a lot for the team. We are a young team and we are just taking everything in stages. We will look to make it two wins out of two when we come up against the Windwards," Bishoo said.
"Our captain (Veerasammy Permaul) was excellent in the first match. He did a great job leading the team and he got the full support from everyone. He is a young player, like myself, but he understood what was required and took control of the situations. The pressure of leading the team for the first time in a first-class match didn’t seem to bother him."
Looking ahead to the Digicel Series, Bishoo noted: "This tournament will form part of the build-up to what we can all expect to be a tough series against Australia. I have not played against Australia, but I have been watching and paying close attention to what is happening so I have a few ideas and plans about how to bowl when I get the opportunity."
· The winning team in the Regional 4 Day tournament will be the awarded the Headley/Weekes Trophy in honour of West Indies greats George Headley and Sir Everton Weekes.
Other Awards
Batting (Most Runs) – The Vivian Richards Award
Bowling (Most Wickets) – The Courtney Walsh Award
Fielding (Most Catches) – The Clive Lloyd Award
Allrounder (Leading Allrounder) – The Malcolm Marshall Award
Wicket-keeping (Most Dismissals) – The Deryck Murray Award
Most Promising Fast Bowler – The Andy Roberts Award
Upcoming matches – 2nd round: Friday February 10 to Monday February 13
Combined Campuses & Colleges vs Leeward Islands at 3Ws Oval, Barbados
Jamaica vs Barbados at Sabina Park, Jamaica
Windward Islands vs Guyana at Windsor Park, Dominica