Jaguars to play warm up match today

 Leon Johnson speaks with reporters on landing at the CJIA after the Guyana Jaguars won the Regional 4-day title
Leon Johnson speaks with reporters on landing at the CJIA after the Guyana Jaguars won the Regional 4-day title

The Guyana Jaguars are set to play their first warm up match today, ahead of their 2018 West Indies (CWI) Regional Super50 campaign, at the Providence National Stadium, East Bank Demerara.

The side will be high in confidence as they head into this year’s competition having brushed aside all teams in the just concluded Regional 4-Day tournament, where they played unbeaten while extending their streak to four consecutive title wins.

Returning to the helm of the Jaguars is Leon Johnson, who has had quite a fair amount of success with the captaincy, and whose batting is expected to be one of the strongholds of the Jaguars’ top order. Johnson’s confidence must be up, having notched 47 in the Guyana Super50 Franchise League Final for his side, as Georgetown took the trophy on Wednesday.

While the Jaguars have found success in the longer format of the game, the team has failed to capture the 50 Overs crown in over a decade.

With the line-up including the likes of West Indian batsman Shimron Hetmyer, stalwart Shivnarine Chanderpaul and the explosive hitters Chandrapaul Hemraj and Anthony Bramble, the batting department looks very formidable. Not forgetting that Raymon Reifer, Keemo Paul and Sherfane Rutherford are also capable with the bat.

The Jaguars have include five new faces, with Hemraj, Rutherford, Clinton Pestano, Richardo Adams and Ramaal Lewis all making the squad.

The Jaguars have been placed in Group B with the Jamaican Scorpions, Leeward Islands Hurricanes, United States of America and Kent.

Guyana will play their first match in the Regional Super50 against Kent on January 31, at the Sir Viv Richards Cricket Ground, Antigua.

Guyana Jaguars Super50 squad: Shimron Hetmyer, Shiv Chanderpaul, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Leon Johnson, Raymon Reifer, Anthony Bramble, Sherfane Rutherford, Keemo Paul, Romario Shepherd, Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo, Clinton Pestano, Ricardo Adams and Ramaal Lewis.