Regional Super50… Jaguars battle Volcanoes and the weather today in race with Red Force for top spot

Oct 19, 2018 Sports

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By Sean Devers in Trinidad in association with Vnet, Regal, Noble House Seafoods & Cascadia Hotel.

Both Guyana Jaguars and Trinidad Red Force have qualified for semi-finals in Barbados with two games remaining but the Jaguars will want to extend their unbeaten streak to six matches when face defending Champions Windwards Volcanoes at Queen’s Park Oval from 11:30hrs today.
Trinidad has assembled arguably their strongest team since Regional 50-overs cricket commenced in 1976 but the Jaguars are proving the saying, ‘Cricket is not played on paper but in the middle’ correct with five consecutive wins, all with bonus points.
Their only loss was in their first game to the host but they have gathered momentum and destroyed all before them including the star-studded Red Force (23 points) in the return match to lead by two points.
Red Force battle West Indies ‘B’ at the Brian Lara Academy from 14:00hrs in today other match-up. Red Force opposes Canada and Jaguars play West Indies ‘B’ in the final round on Sunday in games which will decide the zone winner.
In 28 games against the Windwards, Guyana has won 19 times, lost eight with the other game being washed out. The last time they met the Jaguars won by 93 runs as the spin trio Ramaal Lewis (4-25), Veerasammy Permaul (3-32) and Ricardo Adams (2-22) completed the job after Sherfane Rutherford (69) and Trevon Griffith (64) had set up the game with a 121-run opening stand.
The Volcanoes’ only win was against Canada, when Devon Smith’s 132 spearheaded them to 337-9 but their biggest disappointment is the form of their leading batsman. Smith, although scored the first of the five tons so far, he has just 29 runs from his six other innings.
At 36 and with eight List ‘A’ tons to his name including one at ODI level, Smith is the most experienced batsman in this tournament and despite his string of failures, he could still be Guyana biggest threat today.
The Grenadian has 161 runs, behind the 179 made by Kaveem Hodge while Bajan Kirk Edwards (124) and Tyrone Theophille (104) are the only others in the team with 100 runs which emphasises how badly they have batted here.
Smith, Theophille and Edwards, Kyle Mayer, Rolando Cato and Shane Shillingford will need to demonstrate more fight than they on Wednesday when they bowled out for 78 by Red Force. They will have to contend with a Jaguars bowling attack which has collectively been very good and individually outstanding as in the case of Clinton Pestano and Lewis while Leon Johnson has captained the side brilliantly.
Only Canada’s pacer Romesh Don (17 wickets) has more wickets by a pacer than Pestano’ 11. In the last game he took the first 50-over hat-trick by a Guyanese and fifth overall and has been consistent throughout this tournament.
Raymon Reifer, Romario Shepherd, Chris Barnwell and Rutherford have bowled well while Jamaican Lewis has been frugal and his 12 wickets are only behind Don and left-arm spinner Larry Edwards (13). Permaul and especially Adams have also bowled consistently.
Delorn Johnson should lead the pace attack which could include Kesrick Williams and Mayers while Edwards, Aleck Athanaze, Hodge and Shillingford could lend support. Barnwell has batted with confidence and authority and his 255 runs include two unbeaten fifties and he is third among the run-scorers behind Red forces’ Nicholas Pooran (283) and Canada’s Naveet Dhaliwal (271).
Reifer has been a model of consistency and has batted with a level-head on several occasions since joining the Guyanese Franchise to pull his team out of a hole. His 217 runs include three half-centuries.
Opener Trevon Griffith is the other batsman in the team with 200 runs (207) with two fifties but while his compilation of runs has been pleasing to the eye with plenty sweeps against the spinners, he has more than once orchestrated his own demise with loose shots.
Rutherford has brutal at top and was asked to open when Chanderpaul Hemraj left for ODI duties and Tagenarine Chanderpaul was unavailable due to ‘stiff neck’ and has made full use of the opportunity with 121 runs but he is also susceptible to recklessness.
Johnson had a marvellous GCB 50-overs League; scoring the most runs and ended with century but has not reached 40 in 107 runs here and although he has batted fluently and elegantly he has been dismissed three times in the 30s when well set and badly needs a big score to keep the Regional selectors interested.
Anthony Bramble scored 44 in his last innings when he and Reifer bailed the Jaguars out of danger with a century stand but he often throws his wicket away with impetuous shots but the Jaguars batting has depth with Shepherd, Pestano and Permaul all capable of runs at this level.
Heavy showers and thunderstorms affected several areas here, washing out Wednesday’s game at the Oval and the Jaguars practice was rained out yesterday. More rain is expected today in Port-of-Spain.
This can affect the Jaguars’ charge to finish on top if their game is washed out and Red Force win in South Trinidad.

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