GuyanaTimes
By Avenash Ramzan
The first-ever Roy Fredericks Memorial Cup took place in the Ancient County of Berbice on Sunday, with host club Blairmont playing Georgetown Cricket Club in a 50-over match, but more significantly, a pavillion at the West Berbice ground was named after the great Guyana and West Indies opener.
Is this for real? Brandon Bess proudly displays his Test cap
Is this for real? Brandon Bess proudly displays his Test cap
Brandon Bess gets words of advice from skipper Chris Gayle during his lone Test match, back in 2010
Brandon Bess gets words of advice from skipper Chris Gayle during his lone Test match, back in 2010
While the impressive commissioning ceremony and cricket match attracted all the attention, the return to competitive cricket by former West Indies fast bowler, Brandon Jeremy Bess, went almost unnoticed, though members of the Blairmont Cricket Club were fully aware of what was transpiring.
It was some of those same members who had convinced the lanky speedster to take a second dip in cricket, after he had walked away from the game, citing a lack of confidence.
President of the Blairmont Cricket Club, Shabeer Baksh, was one of the persons who encouraged the 28-year-old cricketer, who has played a solitary Test against South Africa in Barbados in 2010, to consider a return to game after a three-year hiatus.
“I still feel, and the members feel so as well, that he has something more to offer to the game, because he is still young. He can still contribute to Berbice, Guyana and even West Indies cricket,†Baksh related.
It was against this backdrop that Baksh and the members felt a sense of pride and elation when Bess decided to suit up for Blairmont in last Sunday’s game. Though he bowled only two overs, and he was not as fast as five years ago, Bess enjoyed the moment in the field.
“It certainly felt good to be back playing cricket, and I hope this is the beginning of great things to come,†Bess said during an exclusive interview on Monday.
With 32 First-Class matches, the last of which was against host Jamaica in 2012, under his belt, Bess took a self-imposed exile from the game, claiming that he lacked confidence and was encountering trouble with his bowling rhythm.
He pointed out that the coaches he had depended on to help him along did not provide that guidance, hence he became discouraged. “Because I couldn’t do everything on own, I needed the help, but I was not getting it. I tried a few things on my own, but it didn’t go the way I planned,†Bess explained.
It seemed hard to believe that a mere two years earlier Bess was on the cusp of a long career in the game after he was selected to attend the West Indies Cricket Board’s Sagicor High Performance Centre in Barbados.
It was during this stint that fortune struck and Bess was drafted into the West Indies team against the touring South Africans.
A neck injury sustained by fast bowler Nelon Pascal during a warm-up session prior to the game necessitated an additional fast bowler in the squad, and the West Indies management opted for the Berbician.
With little time to soak in the moment, Bess was handed his maroon cap and was soon sharing the new ball with Kemar Roach. It was not the most impressive of debuts, as he went for 65 runs off nine overs in the first innings and 27 off four in the second.
He did manage to pick up a wicket though, that of nightwatchman Paul Harris in the first innings. It remains Bess’ lone Test match to date.
Following the completion of his stint at the Sagicor High Performance Centre, Bess returned to the First-Class arena and played one more season for Guyana before proceeding on a break from the game.
Watching on from the sidelines, Bess, who has picked up 56 wickets from 32 First-Class games at an average of 40.33, realised that many of his batch mates from the Sagicor High Performance Centre were now getting the help they needed, and some have even enjoyed prolonged careers at the international level.
He is now hoping that he would benefit from that same level of support, as he seeks to work his way back into the Berbice, Guyana and even West Indies teams. However, with Guyana’s bowling attack being predominantly spin-based, there are limited chances for the faster men.
With the likes of Ronsford Beaton, Paul Wintz, Keon Joseph, Raun Johnson and Romario Shepherd vying for those spots, Bess now has his work cut out, as he tries to break into that group.
Meanwhile, Baksh said Bess would be back in training with the Blairmont team from this week, and he is looking forward to the fast bowler to share his knowledge with the youngsters, as well as inspire them to set lofty goals for themselves.
Baksh, who described Bess as “a very good athlete†and one who could also offer some runs in the lower-order, is confident the cricketer would have matured during those years away from the game, and would use his expertise to skillfully work his way back to the top.
Bess and Fredericks are the only two players from Blairmont to have played international cricket. With Bess now making a conscious effort to make a comeback, and Fredericks’ name and photo permanently placed on the main pavillion of the club, the youths of Blairmont are in no way short on inspiration.
