By Charwayne Walker
Congratulations must go to Essequian Sports Club and Police all-rounder Quinten Sampson on his selection in the Guyana cricket team for this year’s Regional One Day Tour.
Young Sampson is perhaps unaware of his predecessors from Eve Leary who laid the foundations for his rise to national team status.
Today Stabroek News takes a look at the Police Sports Cricket Club players who represented Guyana while playing for the Police Sports Club.
The disciples.
Ovid Glasgow Wicket Keeper/ Batsman. Debut at Regional First Class level 1967 v Barbados GCC, Bourda.
Winston English Fast Bowler/All Rounder
Debut 1967 v Barbados GCC, Bourda.
Winston is the first and to date the only Police Sports Club player to captain Guyana at Regional First Class level in 1969 against Trinidad & Tobago in the GCC, Bourda.
He celebrated his promotion with a magnificent 112.
William Jeffrey (deceased). Out of rotation. Debut against Jamaica at Sabina Park 1970.
Milton Pydanna, Wicket Keeper/Batsman.
Debut against Barbados Kensington Oval 1971. This product of the Police Sports Club went on to represent the West Indies in three ODIs. He also led Guyana to the regional one-day championship in 1985 while playing for the Guyana Defense Force.
Leonard Mc Rae, Batsman. Debut against Trinidad & Tobago at Queen’s Park Oval 1971.
Keith Cameron, Fast Bowler. Debut against Trinidad & Tobago at Queen’s Park Oval 1974.
Cameron is the first Guyana fast bowler to take seven wickets in an innings at Regional First Class level. Cameron took 7 for 91 against the Combined Islands at Queen’s Park, St George’s Grenada in 1975.
Lloyd Harper, Batsman. Debut v Barbados Kensington Oval 1977.
Vibert Johashen, Fast bowler (deceased). Debut v Trinidad & Tobago in GCC, Bourda 1977.
Clement Neblett, (deceased). Universal. Debut against Jamaica at Jarret Park, Montego Bay 1978.
It should be noted that although Neblett is a proud product of the Police Sports Club. He made his Regional First Class debut while representing the GCC in 1978.
Chatterpaul Singh. Left arm quick bowler. Debut against Combined Islands at Skeldon Berbice 1979.
Collie Solomon. Quick cup. Debut against Leeward Islands at Antigua Recreation Ground St John’s 1985.
Joseph Simpson. Batsman. Debut against Barbados at Kensington Oval 1987.
Calvin Burnett. Universal. Debut against Jamaica at Albion Sports Club 1988. He scored the occasion with 50 and 52 points.
Calvin’s younger brother Mark Burnett, who is a product of the Police Sports Club, made the national under-19 team in 1989, went on to represent East Coast where he made his Regional First Class debut against the Isles Leeward at Blairmont, West Berbice in 1994.
After Mark Burnett, it took almost 20 years for the next Police Sports cricketer to gain national selection.
Fast bowler Trevor Benn broke the drought in 2013 and was unfairly dismissed without a chance to prove his worth at regional first-class and list (A) levels.
Ricardo Adams added his name to the Eve Leary honors board when he was selected to represent Guyana at the Regional One Day level in 2017.
Now the new kid in town is Sampson, who is continuing what English and Glasgow started 55 years ago.
Let’s welcome our Police Sports Club leaders at First Class and List (A) Regional levels.
Although Police Sports Club Keeper/Batsman Jeff Jones never represented Guyana at regional first-class and list (A) levels, he played two one-day matches for a Clive Lloyd-led Guyana team against an international team in GCC, Bourda and Hampton. Court in Essequibo in 1982.
Jones is the first Essequian to score an inter-century 103 against Demerara at the GCC, Bourda, in the semi-finals of the 1983 Jones Cup. Honorable mention must go to Keith Maxwell’s fast bowler Hubern Carrington, the all-rounder and the late Gillian Gomes, who represented all Sports Club with distinction and played for Demerara at Inter County level.
Under the leadership of the late William Jeffrey, the Police Sports Club won the 1973, 1974, 1976 Case Cup and 1976 Rothman’s Cup and 1977 Bristol Cup.
It should be noted that Hubert Evans also represented the Berbice Police team. He made his Regional First Class debut for Guyana vs Trinidad & Tobago GCC, Bourda in 1977.
