Charles: Patience needed on Tarouba pitch

Red Force off-spinner Bryan Charles said patience was key to his maiden five-wicket haul in first class cricket against the Guyana Jaguars in round four of the Digicel Regional Four-Day tournament on Friday.

Charles, a former West Indies Under-19 cricketer, finished with figures of 43 overs, 12 maidens, 134 runs and five wickets. Unfortunately, the performance by Charles came in a huge defeat as the Red Force lost by an innings and 217 runs in round four at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba. Batting first, Guyana posted 484 for eight declared, before the Red Force got bowled out for 120 in the first innings and 147 in the second.

Charles, now 22 years old, said he was pleased with his effort. “It is a good feeling because it was a lot of hard work, it is a flat deck out there,” Charles said. “I had to bowl 40 plus overs so it is a really good feeling to be rewarded with the five-wicket haul.”

Charles, who got rid of West Indies and Guyanese legend Shivnarine Chanderpaul for just two, said facing the Jaguars batsmen was a huge challenge as they don’t give away their wickets cheaply. “Bowling to the Guyanese batsmen, you have to be patient. They wait on the bad balls to score, so it is just to work hard and keep pegging away. I think I got my first wicket in my 34th over, so it is just a lot of hard work out there.”

Charles believes having experienced Alescon Comets teammate Imran Khan on the Red Force team has helped him improve. “I learn a lot from Imran. He keeps attacking the batsmen, and we also play for the same club, so it is always a pleasure to see him bowl.” The former Presentation College, Chaguanas, student said losing the match spoiled his achievement somewhat. “It took away from the moment a little bit, but still the (good) feeling is there. I have been working hard, I think this is my 10th first class game. I think we could have applied ourselves better out there, but all and all, I still feel happy about the five-wicket haul.”

Charles said the team is still confident despite their heavy defeat. “We played three games and we did not lose (before this match). Just one bad day of cricket cost us, so there is not that much of a drop in the confidence. It is just to regroup and come again.”