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Teamwork critical as Guyana begin campaign at Enmore today
By Sean Devers
Defending champions Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) and regional four-day title-holders Jamaica will clash in the feature match of the opening round of the WICB President’s Cup one-day tournament in Guyana from today at Providence while the host face Leeward Islands at Enmore in another key match.
For the first time ever in a regional competition, four matches will be played on the same day. Barbados face the TCLG West Indies U-19s at Bourda and CCC battle Windward Islands at Everest in the other games. All matches start at 09:15hrs and admission is $500.
Chris Gayle
At Enmore,
Sewnarine Chattergoon will be keen to shrug off the disappointment of being surprisingly overlooked for a WICB retainer contract and will want to score big as he aims to regain his Test spot while Travis Dowlin, who should open with him will want to cement his West Indies place with a consistent series after making his International debut because most of the region’s top players took a collective stance against the WICB due to a contract dispute.
In Sarwan, Narsingh Deonarine and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Guyana posses the best middle order in the tournament but fans will remember their collapse in the GCB 20/20 final against Jamaica last Saturday night and their inability to win a regional One-Day title since 2005.
Sarwan holds the record for the most runs in a single regional one-day series (446 from 6 innings in 2005 at an average of 115.50 with 3 tons and 2 fifties) and will want to reproduce that form now while Deonarine will want to prove his form and fitness ahead of the Australia tour.
At 35, Chanderpaul is easily the region’s most dependable batsman and once he can ignore the expectations of a large home crowd which could include his wife and 2 sons and focus on playing for his country, the Leeward’s bowlers could be in for some serious headaches.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Ramnaresh Sarwan
Chanderpaul’s batting is rarely affected by distractions and with the knowledge that he is heading towards the end of his illustrious career and badly wants to return to Test cricket again after joining in the player’s strike against the Board, the bowlers could feel the weight of his bat in this competition.
Royston Crandon will want to show that he has the ability to make the regional team when everyone is available while Chris Barnwell is among the most exciting all-rounders in regional cricket.
Add Esuan Crandon, Deon Ferrier, Assad Fudadin and debut Keeper Delbert Hicks to the mix and Guyana’s batting is potentially powerful.
Although Trevon Garraway is in the squad, Barnwell and Esuan Crandon could share the new ball while Davendra Bishoo and Veerasammy Permaul will lead the spin attack.
Runako Morton is dangerous at this level and if he gets support from exciting young left-hander Kieran Powell, Wilden Cornwall, Chesney Hughes, Skipper Steve Liburd, Codville Rogers, Tinito Willett, wicketkeeper Jamal Hamilton and Gavin Williams, the Leewards could fancy their chances against an inexperienced Guyana attack.
Runako Morton
Daren Ganga
Lionel Baker and Gavin Tonge gives the Islander’s a potent new ball attack. Without Test off-spinner Omari Banks, Elsroy Powell and spinners Anthony Martin and Justin Athanaze will have to be on target if their team is to prevail today.
At Providence,
Last year T&T beat Barbados by seven wickets in the final and Jamaica, led by Chris Gayle will be keen to avenge their semi-final defeat to the Daren Ganga-led T&T side which beat them in last year’s semi-final under lights at the same venue.
Interest in the tournament is high since all of the senior players have been mandated to play to be eligible for West Indies selection.
With the public debate regarding the possible Captain to Australia expected to reach a crescendo as the selectors prepare to name the squad on November 1, today’s match-up between 2 of the leading contenders for the job should give the match at Providence even more importance.
The Jamaica squad has 11 players with West Indies senior team experience including David Bernard Jnr and Nikita Miller who opted not to support the ‘senior players’ by going to South Africa with the makeshift team after the striking players made themselves available but were ignored by the selectors.
The Jamaican Manager has dispelled rumors about friction in the camp and today’s game against a T&T side which exhibited great solidarity and produced a wonderful showing of team cricket in the Champions League in India could be both a physical and psychological battle.
While Ganga has struggled to match his talent with runs at the International level, he is arguable the most ‘sound’ leader in the region and with 9 players with senior West Indies team experience in his side, T&T, although tired from their long trip from India, should start as one of the favorites to successfully defend their title.
Gayle is the most destructive limited over batsman in the region and if he gets going on the lightning fast outfield and flat track, the T&T bowlers can find themselves under plenty of pressure today.
Brenton Parchment, Wavell Hinds, Danza Hyatt, Shawn Findley, Xavier Marshall, Carlton Baugh, Bernard and the solid Brendon Nash gives Jamaica a strong batting line-up while in Jerome Taylor and Andrew Richardson they have two of the best fast bowlers in the region. Darren Powell has Test experience while left-arm spinner Miller, Leg-spinner Odean Brown and medium pacer Bernard should relish the sluggish Guyana pitches.
With their confidence high and Adrian Barath and Williams Perkins in good one-day form, T&T, the only team to make 400 in a Regional one-day game (vs Northern Windwards in 2001 in Jamaica) can also post a massive total, especially if the Bravo brothers, Lendl Simmons, Denesh Ramdeen, the Ganga siblings and the pugnacious Kieron Pollard and Navin Stuart get going today.
Ravi Rampaul will be looking for a Test pick while Stewart and the spin attack of Sherwin Ganga, Dave Mohamed and Samuel Badree will hope to utilize the slow surface today.
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