The Guyana national cricket team is the representative first class cricket team of Guyana. The side does not take part in any international competitions, but rather in inter-regional competitions in the Caribbean, such as the Regional Four Day Competition and the Regional Super50), and the best players may be selected for the West Indies team, which plays international cricket. Guyana has participated in the South American Cricket Championship for some editions, but were represented by an overage "masters" team.[2] The team competes under the franchise name Guyana Harpy Eagles.[3]
The cricket team has been known under two other names – first as Demerara (until 1899, but also during 1895), then as British Guiana until 1966 when Guyana became independent. As Demerara, they played in the first first-class cricket game in the West Indies, against Barbados in 1865. From 1971 until the mid-1980s two Guyanese regional sides competed in an annual first class match for the Jones Cup, later renamed the Guystac Trophy.
In List A cricket, Guyana reached the final of the domestic competition four times in the early 2000s, but the last victory was in 2005–06. They have won a total of nine regional List A titles, including two shared titles, which is second only to Trinidad and Tobago with 12 titles (including one shared).
In June 2018, Guyana was named the Best First-Class Team of the Year at the annual Cricket West Indies' Awards.[4] Guyana won the 2022–23 West Indies Championship to clinch their 12th title. They won four out of their five matches gaining 84 points in total.[5]
Guyana's main home ground used to be the Bourda ground in Georgetown, where they played 131 of their 181 first class home games, and where 30 Test matches were hosted. As of 2007 Guyana have played most of their home matches at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, East Bank Demerara. Other grounds include the Albion Sports Complex in the Berbice region, which has hosted 24 Guyana matches and five ODIs, and from 1997–98 the Enmore Recreation Ground, East Coast Demerara, where they have played five games.
