As the Guyana Jaguars embark on their 2019 Cricket West Indies Colonial Medical Insurance Regional Super50 title hunt, skipper Leon Johnson reckons that consistent batting from a deep line-up and all-round ability of the side will be necessary for them to lift the title.
“I think we need to put runs on the board consistently, I think we have been inconsistent with the bat if you check the scores sometimes we have a 300 plus score and then a low score. I think we need to be consistent and come up with a formula and stick to that,” Johnson opined.
Looking at the side on paper, the captain said: “I think the strength is our batting depth, we always select teams with guys who bat right down and a couple of batters that could offer some overs as well, so I think the all-round ability and batting depth”.
Looking at the 14-man squad, the side seems rounded. It features two wicket-keeper batsmen in Anthony Bramble and Kemol Savory but it is the 10 bowling options available to the captain that stand out.
Chandrapaul Hemraj, Gudakesh Motie and Veerasammy Permaul all provide left-arm spin while Jonathan Foo and Ramaal Lewis are the off-spin options. They are in support of seamers, Nial Smith, Clinton Pestano, Christopher Barnwell and Ronsford Beaton as well as Raymon Reifer with the left-arm variation. The skipper himself can bowl leg-spin if needed.
Reifer had also showcased his exploits with both bat and ball. The Bajan-born all-rounder scored 323 runs in seven innings at an average of 64 – studded with four half centuries – and took five wickets.
Like Reifer, Barnwell had also been a stand-out all-rounder last season with 282 runs in eight innings at an average of 47 and a best of 99 not out while complimenting that with a bowling economy rate of under 3.5. With Tagenarine Chanderpaul, who finished the local franchise as the leading run scorer being the pivotal batsman in the side, each member has proven themselves capable with the bat.
His opening partner, Hemraj is returning from a dream season in the Caribbean Premier League where he scored nearly 300 runs. The left-hander will also want to remind West Indies selectors of his ability in the 50-over format having represented the senior side in six One Day Internationals last year. Both openers averaged over 50 last season.
Foo and Savory join Chanderpaul as the top three run getters in the local franchise and will want to make use of the opportunity.
However, the anchor of the side will no doubt be the captain who will also want to remind selectors of his presence. Johnson scored 222 runs in his seven innings last year with a best of 101.
Should they give the Jaguars a decent start, the platform is set for the big hitters in Reifer, Pestano, Barnwell, Bramble and Lewis to go to work.
The captain, who has led the local franchise to five consecutive titles in the Four-day league would not predict the outcome of the tournament but projected “good consistent cricket.”
The skipper confessed that not winning the title in 13 years has played on the mind of himself and the team but in spite of that he has never let up on encouraging the team to go out and play good cricket.
“It does play on the mind, having been close on four or five occasions, but I just encourage the guys to play good cricket at the end of the day if we give a good account of ourselves, results take care of themselves, some teams will win some will lose, you don’t like to be on the losing side but on the day especially in one day cricket you know how it goes,” Johnson said.
Guyana Jaguars will open their campaign tomorrow against West Indies Emerging Players.
