Barbados: Clayton's Tonic (14 Jun 1998)

14 June 1998

Clayton's Tonic

by Erica Yarde-Greenidge

Clayton Lambert immediately stamped his presence on the Courts/Suzuki Division 1 cricket competition yesterday.

Turning up a week earlier than expected to represent Cockspur Wanderers, the West Indies opener topscored with 31 as his side were routed for a paltry 73 on the opening day of their match against CHIC Schools South at the Lodge School.

Then the Guyanese import took two for 10 with his medium pace as Schools South replied with 83 for six by the close.

It was anticipated that Lambert would have missed the first day because of family commitments in New York. But he arrived in the wee hours of yesterday.

Still recovering from minor surgery - the removal of a cyst from his instep - Lambert went through a few knock-ups before taking time to talk to SunSport about his role in the club.

"I am always filled with apprehension. I like to do well, and would therefore like to live up my standard of play and produce for Wanderers," he said.

"My job is just to play, but if I can offer any advice in line with the guys' technique I will try to."

A bit rusty from surgery and the lack of play in Guyana, he hopes he can use his time here towards achieving his main goal, that of getting himself back to the "top-level fitness" and ready for regional and international engagements.

Lambert said he came to Barbados in search of good competition.

"This time of the year there is an exodus of most of the top players in Guyana to England. In Barbados there are more players around and I think competition here will be very strong. It, hopefully, will provide the type of practice I need."

Barring injury, he will be a familiar face in Division 1 until August.

"I haven't played for five weeks because of the weather in Guyana, and if it was different I would have said a half-century was possible in my opening match but I am content to feel my way through and hope to do my best," he said before the match began.

Wanderers captain Michael Edwards said the club was "lucky to get a player of Lambert's stature".

"On behalf of the whole Wanderers Club we are all looking forward to Lambert stay here, playing with him and learning from him," Edwards said. "He is a very talented player and, personally, it was a pleasure to be playing with one of the West Indies opening batsmen who licked the stuffing out of the English bowling," he said.

This was a reference to Lambert's aggressive batting on his recall to Test duty this year.

Source :: The Barbados Nation (https://www.nationnews.com/)