People of the Republic: Deyana Williams, Batavia, Region 7

Retold by Danielle Swain; danielle@newsroom.gy | Photography by Shatanand Anude | Videography by Yusuf Ali

“Cricket is my favourite game,” says 16-year-old Deyana Williams without hesitation.

She first picked up a bat in Waramuri, Moruca, a village in Barima-Waini, the far northwest of Guyana, where rivers wind through dense forests and spill into a brown Atlantic. When her family later moved south to Batavia, in the Cuyuni-Mazaruni, she carried the game with her.

In Batavia, where the Cuyuni River bends wide and the sports ground, like those in many Indigenous villages, doubles as a gathering place, Williams found a new stage. It was here she honed her game before going on to represent Region Seven in softball. Still, her ambitions stretch further, to step into hardball cricket, to one day wear national colours.

“My dream would be to play for Guyana,” she says.

Her favourite player is Shimron Hetmyer. “I like his style,” she adds, smiling. Already, there are glimpses, forty-five runs and a hat trick in a match against Karrau.

For now, Williams remains on the village pitch, an all-rounder in the making. But like so many young cricketers across Guyana and the West Indies, she plays for more than herself. She plays for the dream that cricket has always promised, that from a clearing by the river, one might rise to stadium lights.

Batavia is a small Indigenous community of about 700 people along the Cuyuni River in Guyana’s Cuyuni-Mazaruni region (Region Seven). Its Dutch name means “ancient district,” but the village is better known for its rich Indigenous traditions. Just a short boat ride from Bartica, Batavia has a character of its own. The community is spread across several parts, with Arian Island serving as a hub for education and business, and the sports ground at the heart of recreation.

About People of the Republic: The News Room team travels across Guyana, capturing stories from Guyanese to highlight our collective identity. ‘People of the Republic’ showcases these tales, connecting us as a nation and celebrating our shared humanity, one story at a time.