NOT too many people may have jumped at leaving Guyana for Hadleigh, but cricketing all-rounder Kellon Carmichael has reveled in making that journey.

The 26-year-old is spearheading Hadleigh and Thundersley’s push for promotion, impressing with both bat and ball in Division One of the Essex League.

And Carmichael is loving playing and living in Essex.

“So far playing in England has been good for me and I’m enjoying my cricket at the moment,” he said.

“My club president in Guyana, Neil Barry, played for Hadleigh in the 1990s so he made the arrangements for me to come over.

“My biggest challenge was getting familiar with the conditions here because all of my cricket prior to this season had been played in the Caribbean.

“But I’ve been making very useful contributions with the bat and ball and I’m pleased with how it’s going.”

Carmichael is currently the leading wicket-taker for Hadleigh this season, having dismissed 23 opponents.

He has also scored 245 runs in nine innings.

And he is confident of helping fourth-placed Hadleigh clinch promotion, despite a recent dip in form which has seen them lose three matches in succession.

“I still think we can gain promotion because we have been playing well as a team,” said Carmichael, who represented Guyana at under-19 level.

“It will be tough but as long we play to the best of our abilities for the remainder of the season then I’m confident we can be one of the two teams gaining promotion.”

Helping Hadleigh into the Premier Division would also make it mission accomplished for Carmichael who feels right at home with his team-mates.

“What I like most here is that the people are very friendly here, they’re very welcoming and make me feel at home,” he said.

“I couldn’t ask for a better bunch of people to be around but of course I do still miss my family and close friends back home and I definitely miss my mum’s cooking!”