Tasked with beating the Jamaica Scorpions in a must-win encounter, defending Regional Four Day champs, Guyana Jaguars’ Head Coach Esuan Crandon is sticking to the basics in order to emerge successfully.
After nine rounds; seven wins, a draw and a washed out match, round 10 of the Professional Cricket League (PCL) tourney held at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence will certainly be the match the home team needs to dominate in all departments.
Speaking with Stabroek Sport on the eve of the final round this season, Crandon was unperturbed ahead of the clash with the Jamaicans but admitted that this was the match Guyana needed to win.
Speaking about the third placed Jamaicans who have 82 points, Crandon said he expected a competitive four days, acknowledging that the visitors are equal to the task. “They have good players and they have been playing good cricket”, he said.
The coach also explained that the momentum was still with the table leaders who have 130 points, but it’s the Barbados Pride who lurk in second spot with 123 that makes the next four days all the more important for Guyana.
Nevertheless, the former national player was confident of a good showing by his boys, saying the key to emerging victorious was to play to their strengths and take responsible approaches to their match situations.
Guyana recently made two changes to its squad, swapping the injured Shivnarine Chanderpaul and pacer Ronsford Beaton for West Indies Under-19 World Cup winning Captain, opener Shimron Hetmyer and all-rounder Steven Jacobs.
Meanwhile, the Scorpions are also expected to take the field without star left-arm spinner Nikita Miller after the competition’s leading wicket taker (65 wickets), was replaced by fellow left-arm spinner, the uncapped Dennis Bulli for medical reasons. .
Action in today’s opening day of the final round will commence at 9:30hrs.
Guyana Jaguars squad: Tagenarine Chanderpaul,,Rajendra Chandrika, Leon Johnson (Captain), Vishaul Singh (Vice captain), Shimron Hetmyer, Raymon Reifer, Anthony Bramble, Christopher Barnwell, Veerasammy Permaul, Gudakesh Motie, Devendra Bishoo, Keon Joseph and Steven Jacobs.
Jamaica Scorpions squad : Paul Palmer (captain), Jermaine Blackwood, Gavon Brown, John Campbell, Jason Dawes, Kirk Edwards, Nicholson Gordon, Damion Jacobs, Andre McCarthy, Dennis Bulli , Aldaine Thomas, Devon Thomas, Shacaya Thomas.
