Professional Cricket League (PCL) four-day champs, Guyana Jaguars will commence their title defence today when they square off against the Windward Islands Volcanoes in round one of the West Indies Cricket Board’s (WICB) tournament at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
The Jags have been undergoing a series of weekly sessions as they got well prepared ahead of a long WICB regional season. Last season, the Jags beat the Volcanoes twice during their encounters.
Batting wisely, the home team will rely on veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who will be seeking to dominate the regional bowling attacks.
Captain Leon Johnson, openers Assad Fudadin, Rajendra Chandrika, who recently returned from the West Indies Test series against Sri Lanka and Shimron Hetmyer have all shown glimpses of their talent during the practice matches. However, their stints with the West Indies senior, A and youth teams over the past year have also added a wealth of experience to their personal games as well as to the team’s.
The in-form Vishaul Singh, the team’s vice-captain was also among the runs, having scored a century in the first of two practice games while all-rounders Chris Barnwell and Raymon Reifer will provide a bit of firepower in the lower-middle order. Apart from their top class bevy of batters, the Jags will enter the fray without the services of their two MVP bowlers from last season, spins twins Devendra Bishoo and Veerasammy Permaul.
Permaul was replaced by the young Gudakesh Motie, who is expected to make his senior debut after an ankle injury ruled out the West Indies left-arm spinner. Bishoo, who is currently with the West Indies team in Sri Lanka, has made way for the return of off-spinning all-rounder Steven Jacobs, who is expected to work in tandem with the young Motie.
The pace department has a bountiful supply of speedsters, led by right-arm bowlers Ronsford Beaton and Keon Joseph while a left-arm/right-arm combination of quality seam bowling from Reifer and Barnwell, will surely add to the Jags’ bowling options.
The Volcanoes have a solid team with tons of regional experience but their marquee player, opener Devon Smith whose 2014/15 season had two tons, four fifties in the accumulated 822 runs, will be the Jags’ main focus. Other quality batsmen such as: Tyrone Theophile, Keddy Lesporis and Sunil Ambris will feature while Delorn Johnson, discarded West Indies off-spinner Shane Shillingford and overseas Barbadian Kyle Mayers and Kevin McLean will have the opportunity to showcase their talent.
Jaguars Head coach Esuan Crandon said the mood in the local camp is positive and although he does not expect a walkover from the visitors, he expects his boys to give a good account of themselves during the first three rounds they play at home.
Leeward Islands Hurricanes will host Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in a clash at Warner Park in St. Kitts while the Barbados Pride will play host to Jamaica Scorpions at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown in the other first round games.
