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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, November 19, 2017
Remembering Shiv Mandolall--in my all-time best Essequibo Under-19 XI By Elroy Stephney WHEN I first met the late Shivnandan Mandolall as a teenager, I had no doubt that he would have worn national colours. In fact he was already a house-hold name at age 14, having then acquired formal coaching and possessing text-book stroke-play. His left-handed disposition made batting intriguingly attractive to the naked eye, especially when he was on bended knees to unleash one of his raspingcover-drives. It is not an illusion therefore to feature Shiv in my team, having felt obliged to select an all-time best Essequibo XI from players who would have represented Guyana at the national Under- 19 level. Indeed, the Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB) should officially honour its heroes by inducting them into a Hall of Fame. Below is my Best XI in batting order, given my knowledge and privilege of playing with and against
them at various stages during their careers. Yogeshwar Lall, Herell Green, Rovendra Mandolall, Troy Cornelius, Keemo Paul, Shivnandan Mandolall, Ricardo Adams, David Wallace, Ray Reid, Ronsford Beaton and Rayon Thomas. Shiv Mandolall died in 2013 at the age of 31. Essequibo has produced the least amount of national cricketers in comparison to the two other counties. While it is not a studious reflection of the county’s talent, the chosen team is of the highest calibre and deserving of such recognition. There are three historical firsts for Essequibo with Shivnandan Mandolall becoming the first to captain a National team when he led the Regional President’s XI during the 2002 Youth tournament in Guyana. The mercurial Ricardo Adams in 2012 was the first to score a regional century against Trinidad and Tobago while the highly talented Keemo Paul is the first to represent the West
The late Shivnandan Mandolall
Indies Under -19 team, which claimed World Cup glory in 2016, for the first time in history. Notably, Former West Indies Captain Ramnaresh Sarwan was born in Wakenaam but he never represented Essequibo. Instead, he
Mooney inspires Australian women to retain Ashes (REUTERSD) - Australia ensured they would retain the Women’s Ashes after a conclusive six-wicket triumph over England in the first Twenty20 international in Sydney on Friday. Beth Mooney delivered a brilliant match-winning innings of 86 not out to guide the home side to victory with 4.1 overs to spare as they chased down England’s 132-9 at the North Sydney Oval with some comfort. The victory extended the holders’ lead to an unassailable 8-4 in the seven-match points-based series comprising one test, three one-day and three T20 internationals. It meant England can only draw the series 8-8 if they win the final two T20s over the next week. Australia won the last series, which was staged in England, 10-6 in 2015. England, knowing they had to triumph to stay in the hunt to regain the Ashes that they had last won in 2013-14 in Australia, made a terrible start, slumping to 16-4 before Dani Wyatt’s 36-ball 50 helped them to a respectable total. Left-hander Mooney, though, played superbly, recording the highest score by an Australian on home soil in women’s T20 internationals, hitting 11 fours and two sixes in a dazzling 56-ball knock. Australia captain Rachael Haynes
played for Demerara during his career. Additionally, Yogeshwar Lall has the highest inter-county individual score, stroking a masterful unbeaten 182 against Berbice to engineer a rare victory for the Cinderella County. His open-
ing partner, Herell Green, is the other inter-county centurion in the team. He is also a competent wicket-keeper and will often take the gloves. The batting has proven depth with the Mandolall brothers providing fluency, artistry and class. They were prolific scorers whose reservoir of invention was unlimited and they were genuine all-rounders; invaluable assets to any team. The other all-rounder is David Wallace who had all the qualities to have become another Shane Watson of the modern era. His aggressive batting, strength and frightening pace were unique missiles of destruction. Providing spin would be left-armer, Ray Reid who is the county’s most successful bowler. He claimed 27 wickets in the 1995 Regional tournament and bowled his Country to the coveted title. The pace department has unquestionably two of Guyana’s finest fast-bowlers who have distinguished
GKC encouraging BVA tournament serves off today new entrants By Stephan Sookram
Beth Mooney seals Australia Women’s Ashes victory with a brilliant unbeaten 86.
said afterwards: “It was so nice for the team to come out and play like that. For Beth Mooney to come out and make a statement like that was fantastic.” Her England counterpart Heather Knight conceded: “Credit to Australia. Beth Mooney played an outstanding innings and took the game away. Everything we tried, we couldn’t get her out.”
themselves. Rayon Thomas represented the West Indies ‘A’ team along with Beaton, whose future remains infectiously fascinating. Captaincy will be rested on the firm shoulders of Troy Cornelius who led the national youth side in 2001 in Guyana. He is mentally focused and has the distinction of scoring a senior inter-county century; a meritorious feat only achieved by Jeff Jones, Ramcharran Singh, Dinesh Joseph and Ramesh Narine. My 12th man will be Mahendra Boodram who is also part of the elite club to score an inter-county Under- 19 century. Significantly it’s a balanced diet of extraordinarily gifted jewels of Essequibo’s treasury. Imposingly too and with his uncanny ability to generate both fire and humour within the dressing room, Shivnandan Mandolall is strategically conferred with the tag as the talisman in the team to engineer another victory.
THE Guyana Karate College (GKC) has reopened its doors to new entrants of the sport ahead of the Christmas vacation period of the academic semester. According to vice-president of the GKC, Master Jeffrey Wong, the club is looking to enhance its youth cadre as it prepares for the International Karate Diagaku World Cup next year in Barbados. “What we saw is that a lot of our junior Karatekas have graduated to the senior ranks and the club is expanding. What we have also found is that we are a little bit short on the junior end and it’s an area we have always been strong in.” Master Wong dismissed the common notion that the sport is violent, adding that it is quite the opposite. “There are some parents who have approached me and said they don’t want their children to join karate because they think it’s violent. It isn’t so,” he stated. Master Wong added, “it’s about controlling your emotions and your actions so that you
Vice-president of the GKC Master Jeffrey Wong
don’t become violent, but rather learn how to deal with various situations that could have violent outcomes.” Wong stated that Beginners classes are for ages five to sixteen and take place from 16:15hrs – 17:15hrs on Mondays and Wednesdays while Friday’s class begins at 17:00hrs There are also adult classes on Tuesdays from 18:00hrs-19:30hrs with classes on Thursday and Friday from 18:30hrs – 19:30hrs. Registration is $3000 with membership fees set at $3000 per month.
THE Berbice Volleyball Association (BVA) in keeping with its yearly plan will be hosting a ‘B’ Division volleyball tournament to be held at the Guysuco Apprentice Hostel today The tournament starts at 09:00 hrs and senior national players are debarred from the tournament. Teams expected to participate are the Corriverton Jets male and female, Port Mourant Jaguars, Port Mourant Training Centre (PMTC) 1 &2, Rollers, Black Bush, GTCPM, Kendall’s Union, Recruits of Port Mourant and Port Mourant. Female Volleyball Team. Trophies and prizes will be at stake. All registered teams are asked to take note.