By Delvon Mc Ewan
With the Regional Professional Cricket League (PCL) set to commence tomorrow, manager of the Leeward Islands’ Franchise Leroy Percival is optimistic that once his team competes with a positive attitude on and off the field they can win their opening encounter against the Guyana Jaguars and be successful throughout the tournament.
Percival, who is in his second year as manager of the Leewards’ team, said yesterday that his side was focussed on winning one game at a time and beginning tomorrow spectators can witness competitive cricket from the islanders.
According to Percival, though Guyana is on home soil, cricket is a glorious game of uncertainties and both teams will enter the match on even terms.
“The team that sticks to the basics and does the right things throughout the match will win,” was his prediction.
In the head to head clash between the two teams, the Leewards hold the upper hand with 10 wins to Guyana’s nine.
In their most recent meeting earlier this year Leewards won in Antigua. In total the two teams have met on 35 occasions with 16 games ending in draws while three were abandoned.
“Guyana is a team to reckon with. In the past they have produced world class cricketers, with one; Shivnarine Chanderpaul in the current set up and the Leewards can feel proud of their stalwarts as well. Looking back on the history of the two sides, they are balanced. However, it is the new faces that will have to maintain the competitiveness between the two sides,” said Percival.
Putting aside the presence of prolific West Indies Test batsman Chanderpaul’s in Guyana’s set up, Percival said his team has to play hard cricket regardless of who is featured on the opposing side.
The Leewards are without their most senior batsman Keiran Powell, who made himself unavailable for the match. When questioned on the effects of his absence, Percival said he will be missed because he is a West Indies player and not having Powell, who is in his prime as a batsman is a major loss.
“However, we have managed to win our opening game against the Combined Campuses and Colleges earlier this year without the services of Powell,” he said.
Percival said he believes his team’s strength lies in the batting department and suggested that viewers will get to watch future West Indies prospects from his team once they are present at the game. He pointed out that teenage all-rounder Jeremiah Louis has been batting well in the Leewards tournaments and is certainly one to look out for during this season.
Percival also spoke of the emphasis by the Leewards’ administration to develop their cricket by selecting former West Indies player Ridley Jacobs who is one of the best wicketkeeper/batsman to have represented the region, to coach the team and the inclusion of Masefield Nisbett as the team’s physiotherapist.
The Leewards’ team comprises four international players in Anthony Martin, Gavin Tonge, Austin Richards and Devon Thomas. Their final 13 was selected from the recent Leeward Islands championship which followed a three-day encampment. The team arrived in Guyana Tuesday night.
The full Leeward Franchise squad reads; Devon Thomas (captain), Jahmar Hamilton (vice-captain), Quinton Boatswain, Yannick Leonard, Jeremiah Louis, Anthony Martin, Orlando Peters, Austin Richards, Lyndell Richardson, Akeem Saunders, Jacques Taylor, Gavin Tonge, Kelbert Walters.
