Guyana tipped to win one-day title

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC-Outside favorites Jamaica and Windward Islands are expected to come out blasting from all cylinders if they are to upstage front runners Guyana as the final round of the WICB Under-19 one-day Championship bowls off in Barbados today.

The Guyana One-day cricket team celebrate the fall of a wicket in one of the previous rounds of the U-19 competition. The team, which ha a bye in today’s final round, will await the outcome of the final round to know whether they will run out winners of the one Day competition.

Jamaica who play Barbados at Bayfield and Windwards who meet Leewards at Kensington Oval are expected to press for outright victories and bonus points needed to stop the Guyanese from securing championship honours.

The Jamaicans are second in the standings on 25.5 points while the windward’s are third on 24.5. However, the six points that they can be potentially earn from an outright victory would not be enough to surpass Guyana.

Guyana currently sits at the top of the table on 34 points and will not play in the final round since they have drawn a bye.

Earlier, they recorded an easy five-wicket win over Leeward Islands to end the WICB’s Under-19 50-over tournament on a high, and as clear favorites for top honours.  Windward’s put themselves within sight of the title after defeating Barbados by 75 runs while Jamaica easily disposed of ICC Americas by seven wickets to keep their title hopes alive as well.

Windwards will be fancying their chances of victory since their final opponents, Leewards, are yet to register a win in the tournament.  The outcome of the other final round game between ICC Americas and Trinidad and Tobago at the Pine Basin will have no bearing on the battle for championship honours. Barbados is currently fourth on 19.5 points while ICC Americas and Trinidad and Tobago are both on 11.5 points with Leeward’s occupying the cellar position.