President’s Cup regional one-day cricket starts today in Guyana

Nov 13, 2008 Sports

Defending champs Jamaica battle Barbados at Bourda, host clash

with CCC at Providence

By Sean Devers
Host Guyana, hunting their 10th regional one-day title since the competition began in 1976, begin their 2008 campaign today when they battle the Combined Colleges and Campuses (CCC) at the Guyana National Stadium in one of three first round games in the President’s Cup regional one-day cricket tournament.

Playing in their third regional one-day tournament after making their debut as a University X1 in 2002 and retuning last year, the CCC will be led by Jamaican left-hander Simon Jackson who made his regional one-day debut against Guyana at the Stadium last year with a solid 26 and will include former West Indies Test player Floyd Reifer in their line-up.

While six players in the Guyana team will be making their regional one-day debuts for their country, only Jamal Smith, Callitos Lopez, Gilford Moore and Anderson Sealy from CCC have not played at this level before.

On a flat track and fast outfield, Guyana cannot afford to take the University students lightly and will know that even at 36, Reifer, who played four Tests and two ODIs in the late 1990s, is a major danger if he gets going.

The experienced left-hander, who has 10 tons from 111 First-Class matches, is now the Technical Director of Cricket at UWI in Barbados and plays the role of player coach in the CCC side.

The CCC camp is confident of being competitive since most of their players have first-class experience and played in Guyana during last year’s regional one-day series.

Twenty-six-year-old Romel Currency, his Windwards teammate, 23-year-old Craig Emmanuel and along with Bajan Kurt Wilkinson who has three tons from 40 first-class games, form a very solid middle order for the Students.

Jamaican Wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton, utility player Jamal Smith and Guyanese Ramnarine Chattergoon can all contribute with the bat for the CCC while their decent spin attack led by Sealy and former West Indies under-15 left-arm spinner 22-year-old Kavesh Kantasingh, should relish the Guyana conditions.

The Bajan pair of Kishmar Catlin and Lopez along with Guyanese Moore and Smith provides pace options but could find the Guyana pitches not as conducive to pace as in other parts of the region.

Guyana will be without six key players, including Shiv Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Sewnarine Chattergoon and Leon Johnson who are on West Indies duty while Lennox Cush and Esuan Crandon are injured.

The young players have an opportunity to stake at claim for bigger things this season and a lot will depend on Skipper Travis Dowlin, his deputy Mahendra Nagamootoo and Narsingh Deonarine to mould the young side into a fighting unit.

Nagamootoo and Deonarine are the only players with Test experience in the side and much is expected with both bat and ball from the talented Chris Barnwell who should open with former West Indies under-19 player Rajendra Chandrika.

Dowlin, Deonarine, former West Indies youth players Assad Fudadin, Gajanand Singh and Steven Jacobs along with Royston Crandon, Deon Ferrier, wicketkeeper Derwin Christian and Nagamootoo gives Guyana batting depth.

Nagamootoo, West Indies under-19 left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul and several batsman who bowl useful off-spin, provide Guyana with a competent spin attack while Trevon Garraway and Barnwell or Brandon Bess share the new ball.

Sweltering heat is forecast for today and the GCB is hoping that the fans come out to support their team although today is a working day in Guyana.

The Umpires for today are Bajan Vincent Bullen and Jamaican Norman Malcolm and the game starts at 09:00hrs to compensate for the early sunset at this time of the year in Guyana.

Meanwhile, defending champions Jamaica face off with Barbados in what should be the key match of the opening round today while Canada and the Leeward Islands take on each other at Everest in the other first round game. Admission to all three of the games is $500.

Tomorrow’s matches:
Barbados vs. USA – Stadium

Leeward Islands vs. Trinidad – GCC

Windward Islands vs. CCC – Enmore

(Play starts at 9:00hrs in all the matches)

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