Dewar pumped up to bowl down Jamaica
FORMER Jamaica youth wrist-spinner Akeem Dewar is looking forward to his first participation in the Caribbean Twenty20 (CT20) tournament after being selected in the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) squad for the two-week cricket showpiece.
Dewar, whose team goes up against former regional champions Guyana in Port of Spain, Trinidad on today’s second day of competition, remains unfazed despite the expectation that batsmen will have a particularly aggressive approach to his bowling.
“It’s a good feeling knowing that I will be able to showcase my skills on the regional stage. If I play, there is always the thought that I’ll be targeted and I expect that will happen, especially in this format. I’m young and inexperienced in T20 cricket so I expect batters to come at me and I’m up for the challenge,” the 21-year-old told the Jamaica Observer recently.
With the 2013 edition of the CT20 offering each of the seven teams the opportunity to play the other once in the preliminary stage, Dewar is likely to go up against his home country.
A former Kingston College standout who now attends University of the West Indies at Cave Hill in Barbados, Dewar admitted that a clash with Jamaica would trigger unique emotions.
“Well, in some ways I see the Jamaican team the same as any other team. There is the same urge to win. Still, there is will always be that extra motivation to do well against Jamaica,” he said.
Seen as a player with a realistic future in Jamaica’s cricket after his Man of the Tournament heroics with bat and ball in the regional Under-19 tournament a few seasons ago, Dewar was fast-tracked into his country’s four-day set-up and has played three First-Class matches.
He has so far taken nine wickets at an average of 24.55 and has a best of 4-81. In three 50-overs encounters he has accounted for four victims at 18.00.
The lanky spinner, who represents Kensington CC on the local circuit, said he has improved his game during his time in Barbados.
“I’ve improved my all-round game but mostly I’ve picked up my bowling and also my fielding. My skill level with the ball has gone up… I’m more confident and have more control and I’m showing consistency,” he said.
