11-year-old Davis Guerra Jr wants to break cricket records

Davis Guerra Jr has his eyes set on being a cricket record holder.

The standard four student of Barataria Anglican Primary School eats, sleeps and breathes cricket.

Davis celebrated his 11th birthday on Tuesday and spent the day at the beach with his family.

“We would have played cricket on the beach but I forgot to tell them to get a ball.”

When Newsday Kids visited his Santa Cruz home no cricket balls could be found nearby as he lost dozens of them from practising every day in his yard.

His father said, “Most of them are on the roof or lost in the land over by the neighbours.”

While he is an all-rounder, he enjoys bowling the most.

“I love to see the ball swing and fly through the air.”

Davis said even though he practises in his yard every day, his father sometimes takes him to the Brian Lara Recreation Ground close to his home. He comes from a family of cricketers. His older brother and father really enjoy playing also. Davis is the youngest of his parents’ four children. He started playing cricket at the Darren Bravo Cricket Academy when he was just three years old. He was the youngest cricketer to join the academy and received a medal for being the most dominating player.

Davis has played more games than he can remember.

When he was seven, he went on tour with the K Rampat Cricket Academy to California, in the US, where he took three wickets in three balls.

Later this year, Davis will be heading to Guyana to compete in an under-16 tournament with the academy.

Asked what’s the worst part about playing cricket, he said, “Catching the ball or getting a lash (from the cork ball) because it stings.”

He said though he is working on his batting skills, it is his favourite part of the game.

When it comes to school his best subject is mathematics.

“I like to do addition because it helps with cricket.”

His least favourite subject is science.

On the best part of the game, he said, “Bowling out a cricketer is the best.”

When Davis is not playing cricket or watching it on television he spends time playing with his siblings and playing video games.

“My favourite video game has to be Call of Duty.”

Cricket and video games aside, he said “I’m not that fast but I used to run for my school.”

Davis is looking forward to participating in a match on Easter Sunday and had a test match in Couva on Saturday.

Asked to give advice to other children wanting to play cricket, he said, “Just play your best, be yourself and keep focused.”