NAGICO Super50 bowls off today in T&T

Jan 15, 2015 Sports

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Jaguars face Volcanoes in opening match

By Sean Devers in Trinidad
In Association with Carib Beer, GT&T
Lifetime Reality & Cascadia Hotel

When the 2015 NAGICO Super50 cricket tournament commences in Trinidad & Tobago today the Guyana Jaguars will be looking towards a successful opening match against the Windward Islands Volcanoes in a Day/Night match which starts at 13:30hrs at the Queens Park Oval to kick-start their campaign to win their 10th Regional 50-over title and first since 2005 when they beat Barbados at Bourda in fading light.
Guyana, who lost to Barbados in last year’s semi-final in Port-of-Spain, are without Leon Johnson and Narsingh Deonarine who are with the West Indies team in South Africa, Assad Fudadin (broken finger) Shemron Hetmyer and Tagenarine Chanderpaul, in the West Indies under-19 team participating in this competition and last year’s Captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, not considered for selection by Cricket Guyana Inc.
Guyana beat the Windward Islands by 22 runs in last year’s tournament at the ‘Oval’ on the back of half-centuries from Assad Fudadin (51), Sarwan (62) and Chris Barnwell (51), while Leon Johnson (41) contributed to help Guyana to 235-7.
Johnson Charles top scored with 35 as fast bowler Ronsford Beaton (3-43), Veerasammy Permaul (3-24) and Devendra Bishoo (2-42) conspired to dismiss the Windwards for 213 from 46.4 overs and today Guyana will depend on Shiv Chanderpaul, who has returned from South Africa with the Regional Test side to hold the innings together as the senior statesman in the side.
Openers Rajendra Chandrika and Trevon Griffith will hope to provide a solid foundation for, Royston Crandon, Barnwell, Reifer and Anthony Bramble to build on while all eyes will be on Jonathon Foo who returns to the fray for the first time in four years and looks a much more matured batsman. Vishaul Singh could have to wait a little longer to make his debut, while Steven

Jacobs and seamer Paul Wintz could be the others on the bench today.
Ronsford Beaton, Barnwell, Reifer, Devendra Bishoo, Veerasammy Permaul and Crandon needs to perform with the ball to give the Jaguars a winning start.
This will be Guyana’s 150th List ‘A’ game and their 24th against the Windwards. The South American based unit have won 17, lost five with one ending in a no-result when the sides met for the first time in 1976 at Victoria Park in St Lucia.
Guyana’s first win against the Windwards was in April 1980 when Guyana won by 61 runs at Bourda with Timur Mohamed leading the way with 63 as Guyana claimed the title that year in Antigua when Roy Fredricks, playing in his last match this level, hammered a century to spur Guyana to victory in the Final against the Leeward Islands.
Guyana’s highest score against the Windwards was 254-7 when Royston Crandon scored a debut century in 2007 in Grenada. However, the Windward’s scored 256-4 to win that game and register their highest total against Guyana.
The Windward’s first title came in the 1989 Final in Grenada when they defeated Guyana, while the last of their three titles was achieved in 2013 and today without out their Skipper Darren Sammy and West Indies opener Andre Fletcher who are in South Africa, the Islanders will be banking on Captain Liam Sebastian, West Indies opener Devon Smith, Sunil Ambris, Craig Emmanuel, Miles Bascombe, Keddy Lesporis and Charles. Lesporis and Ambris will be keen to take over the batting reins from the more established batsmen in the side. Tarryck Gabriel has been added to the side to replace Fletcher.

The Islanders bowling attack will hinge around pacers Delorn Johnson, Mervin Matthew, Kenroy Peters, who like Smith, recently returned from South Africa with the West Indies Test team while the spin bowling department comprises of left-arm spinner Alston Bobb, Shane Shillingford and the Skipper who bowls off-spin.
Coach Ian Allen explained that at the start of the training camp in Dominica there were some challenges with the weather, but his team was trying to make sure that the players reach the level of confidence to be competitive from today’ game. “We a chance to get together and do a lot of team bonding as well as for everyone to understand their roles,” said Allen, who played two Tests back in 1991 for the West Indies.
A pulsating game is anticipated this evening as the Jaguars, without their four top batsmen and have huge hole in their middle order, will have to bat well, especially if they are chasing a target under lights.
Barbados Pride face CCC in the other game today at the National Cricket Centre in Couva in a day game.
Guyana Jaguars squad: Christopher Barnwell (captain), Veerasammy Permaul (v-captain), Rajendra Chandrika, Trevon Griffith, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Vishaul Singh, Raymon Reifer, Anthony Bramble, Devendra Bishoo, Ronsford Beaton, Paul Wintz, Steven Jacobs, Royston Crandon, Jonathan Foo, Esuan Crandon (Coach), Rayon Griffith (Assistant Coach)
Windward Islands Volcanoes squad: Liam Sebastien (Captain), Sunil Ambris, Miles Bascombe, Alston Bobb, Johnson Charles, Craig Emmanuel, Andre Fletcher, Tarryck Gabriel, Delorn Johnson, Keddy Lesporis, Mervin Matthew, Kenroy Peters, Shane Shillingford, Devon Smith, Ian Allen (Head Coach), Lockhart Sebastien (Manager), Denis Byan (Physiotherapist/Trainer)

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