Veteran Tonge wants just due, looks towards professional league

National and Leeward Islands fast bowler, Gavin Tonge, continues to condemn what he calls a lack of support on both the national and regional stage despite what he believes have been good performances in the regional 4-day tournament over the past number of seasons.
Tonge, who represents the CUB Bethesda Golden Eagles in the domestic league, said he will continue to press on however, as his goal is to simply perform well on every occasion.
“So long as I am fit you are going to be seeing a whole lot of good performances form Gavin Tonge so long as I am fit and get the support from the public also because in the last couple of years in my career I have been crying for a play [in teams], even when I finish with the second most wickets I am still crying for an opportunity and that shouldn’t be,” he said. 
Tonge was the ninth-leading wicket-taker in the 2016/17 Regional 4-Day tournament, claiming 28 scalps for 659 runs in 10 matches.
He returned in 2017/18, played only five matches, claimed 12 wickets for 351 runs. Prior to that, the fast bowler finished the 2014/15 tournament with 30 wickets for 602 runs from nine matches.
Tonge, who suffered with injury for most of the 2017/18 4-day competition, is however hoping his fortunes change this year.
“Being a fast bowler is nothing easy and you going to be playing with a whole lot of niggles, some of them you can’t bear with and you have to say I am hurting and can’t manage but being a fast bowler you are going to have a sore back, sore ankle, sore shoulder,” the player said.
“At the end of the day, so long as I am fit, Gavin Tonge will be playing. It’s a shame I wasn’t fit enough to really finish the whole tournament for the Leeward Islands [4-Day] but hopefully I will get a chance to really showcase my skills for the 2018/19 tournament coming up,” he added.
The Bethesda player has been retained by the Leeward Islands Hurricanes for the Professional Cricket League slated to bowl off later this year. (Neto Baptiste)