By Akeem Greene
With a place in the 2026 West Indies Four-Day Championship final on May 17 already guaranteed, Guyana Harpy Eagles captain Tevin Imlach has signalled a period of strategic rotation.
Speaking on the Barbadian radio programme Mason and Guest, Imlach emphasised the necessity of managing his seam-bowling resources ahead of their title defence, a move that likely clears the path for the squad’s fringe players to make their mark.
The Harpy Eagles travel to the Antigua Recreation Ground to face the West Indies Academy on May 10.
While the fixture will not alter the championship standings, it serves as a critical tune-up while Guyana awaits the winner of the playoff between Barbados Pride and Trinidad and Tobago Red Force.
For the Harpy Eagles camp, the focus has shifted toward integrating fresh faces and addressing a lingering lack of rhythm in the top order.
Uncapped all-rounder Jonathan Van Lange and pacer Thaddeus Lovell—who has just one First-Class appearance to his name—have been drafted into the squad to replace the unavailable Shamar Joseph and the injured Isai Thorne.
They join uncapped batting all-rounder Zeynul Ramsammy as the primary candidates to break into the starting XI should senior mainstays Keemo Paul and Nial Smith be rested.
Smith’s inclusion in the XI remains a point of intrigue; the 30-year-old sits on 93 wickets and is just seven shy of the 100-wicket First-Class landmark. He has been a vital component of the attack this season with 11 wickets, second only to tournament leader Gudakesh Motie (24) and ahead of veteran Veerasammy Permaul (10).
While the bowling department considers rotation from a position of strength, the batting unit remains under heavy scrutiny.
Aside from Tagenarine Chanderpaul, who has been the titan of the Harpy Eagles’ order with 308 runs at an average of 77.00, the specialist batsmen have struggled to convert starts.
In a telling statistic of the season, veteran spinner Permaul currently holds the team’s second-highest average at 67.00, having scored 134 runs with the help of three not-outs.
While lower-order contributions from Keemo Paul (149 runs) and Motie (120 runs) have been useful, the lack of top-order productivity is evident.
Kemol Savory (220 runs at 44.00) is the only other specialist averaging over 40, while Matthew Nandu (116 runs at 21.00) and Test batsman Kevlon Anderson (59 runs at 19.80) have found the going particularly difficult.
The spotlight is also fixed on the captain, as Imlach, a West Indies Test wicketkeeper incumbent, has endured a lean run by his lofty standards, totalling 151 runs across five innings.
With other regional Test aspirants producing centuries this season, Imlach’s average of 30.20 has drawn criticism. However, the skipper remains unflappable regarding his form.
“I am backing my ability to come good,” Imlach told Mason and Guest, expressing confidence that a substantial score is imminent in the final two fixtures.
Guyana Harpy Eagles Squad: Tevin Imlach (c), Matthew Nandu (vc), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kevlon Anderson, Kemol Savory, Zeynul Ramsammy, Jonathan Van Lange, Richie Looknauth, Gudakesh Motie, Veerasammy Permaul, Nial Smith, Thaddeus Lovell, Keemo Paul.
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