By Sean Devers
As the only West Indian in Canada’s squad for the recently concluded Antigua hosted ICC 2022 Men’s T20 World Cup Americas Qualifiers Guyanaborn Dillon Heyliger was under some amount of pressure to perform well during the Antigua hosted tournament. Heyliger responded in the very best way
possible capturing 9 wickets to top the Canadian team’s bowling averages.
Heyliger’s outstanding bowling was a major contributor to Canada’s eventual second-place finish, behind eventual tournament winners the United States. Both the USA and Canada will now progress to the next round of qualifying for the ICC 2022 T20 World Cup to be held in Australia next October.
Dillon played for Guyana U-15s in 2005, U-19s in 2008 before playing for the Senior team in a T20 in
2013. The Essequibian pacer has now captured 28 wickets since making his T20 International debut for Canada on 18 August 2019 against the Cayman Islands. He finished his debut tournament as the leading wicket-taker, with eleven scalps in five matches. Among his 9 2021 Americas Qualifier wickets was a career-best 5/16 in Canada’s match against
Argentina.
The 32-year-old Heyliger made his List A debut for Canada in the 2018 ICC World Cricket League Division Two tournament on February 8, 2018. In June 2021, he was selected to participate in the Minor League Cricket tournament in the United States following the Players’ Draft.
Being the only West Indian on the Asian-dominated Canadian team, does not bother him
and he feels comfortable in the Canada set-up.
“All I want is just keep my focus to get Canada qualified and take the team
to a World Cup” explained Dillon, who previously shared the new ball for Canada with fellow Guyanese Jeremy Gordon.
Dillon revealed that he moved to Canada in 2015 because of the politics in Guyana’s cricket.
“It was tough for me to make the Senior team with how cricket was going in Guyana at that time
so I decided to move Canada” lamented the Essequibian.
Introduced by the British, cricket was the most popular sport in Canada until the early 20th Century when it was overtaken by Ice Hockey. Cricket was so popular it was declared the National Sport by John A. Macdonald, the first Prime Minister of Canada.
In September 1844 in New York, Canada opposed the USA in the first International cricket match.
Cricket is the fastest growing sport in Canada, with over 40,000 cricketers across the nation.
While Canada does not play Test matches, the team participates ODIs and also in first-class
games in the ICC Intercontinental Cup.
“Well cricket is developing faster now in Canada as it’s been introduced in all schools and a lot of
grass root programs are being done by holding Summer and Winter Camps. The standard of cricket is high because of the multi-cultural immigrants. We have loads of overseas players coming into Canada to play in the Domestic Season here.
We made our own team here in Canada and named it Amazon Kings… we played in the Mississauga 2021 League Season” Dillon disclosed.
Dillon was born on October 21, 1989 at the Suddie Hospital on the Essequibo Coast to Orin and
Tennessee Heyliger and has three brothers, Orin Junior, Ryan and Jason Heyliger who plays First-Division Cricket for Police in Guyana.
He attended the Abram Zuil Secondary School and says he had quite the life growing up in Guyana’s
largest County with his siblings and Mom.
“I came from a cricketing family and lived close to the playground and beaches where we would go to play every day. I fell in love with the game. I would enjoy just being picked for the Senior team to take water and was so happy just to be in the game. I played youth cricket for Essequibo at the age of 13 for Essequibo Under-15 and South Essequibo,” said Dillon, who was a member of the
Santos Club in Suddie.
Dillon played for Guyana Defense Force (GDF) after receiving contact from Coach Roddy Lovell who was the Coach when he’d played for Guyana at the U-15 level and as he got more mature he made the GDF First Division team.
“My most memorable moment was playing in the World Cup Qualifiers playing against Ireland in Abu
Dhabi and winning the game in the last over” said Dillon, who says his favourite player is Brian Lara.
“God and my mom along with Coach Daniels and Coach Abdul Sammad aka “Bird” are the main persons who have helped and supported me. My biggest motivation is my mom and my son Dillon Jnr. I just want to be the best role model as a Dad,” concluded Dillon.