Regional Super50 cricket final... Jaguars aim to break 13-year title drought, face CCC today at Kensington Oval

Regional Super50 cricket final… Jaguars aim to break 13-year title drought, face CCC today at Kensington Oval

Oct 28, 2018 Sports

Jamaican Ramaal Lewis has bowled well and only Pestano has more wickets than him.

Clinton Pestano has bowled splendidly and is the first Guyanese to take a hat-trick in Regional 50-over cricket.

Chris Barnwell has 2nd most runs for the Jaguars.

Reifer has been Jaguars most consistent batsman with 4 fifties.

By Sean Devers
Guyana Jaguars, hunting their 10 title and first since 2005, face-off with surprise finalist CCC Marooners today from 11:30hrs at the ‘Mecca’ in the final of the 2018 Regional Super50 cricket tournament.
The Jaguars sneaked a last over win with the last pair at the crease against Jamaica Scorpions in a nail biting semi-final on Thursday before the Marooners, made up of players from students from Barbados, Trinidad and one player from St Vincent embarrassed the star-studded pre-tournament favourites Red Force the next day.
The Jaguars do not have the type of physiological disadvantage associated with opposing Trinidad who beat them the last two times they got to finals (2009 &2015). But they must not take CCC lightly since they have been the Giant killers of zone ‘B’.
The other advantage for CCC, who plays as UWI in Barbados division one cricket, is their familiarity with the pace and bounce of the Kensington Oval track which is faster than those in Guyana and Trinidad where the Jaguars competed in zone ‘A’.
Kjorn Ottley, one of seven Trinis in the CCC squad, is their leading run scorer with 261 runs with two fifties, while Ameer Jangoo (207) also with two half-centuries, is the other CCC batsman with 200 runs and they will hope for support from skipper Carlos Braithwaite who also have a pair of fifties in his 182, Jonathon Drakes, Kyle Corbin and Nickolas Kirton.
CCC will have to execute immaculate lines and lengths against a Jaguars team which have tremendous batting depth.
Spinner Khesan Ottley has 17 wickets and could be the Jaguars’ biggest threat. Akeem Jordon (14), Braithwaite (10) and off-spinner Jon-Russ Jaggesar (10) have all had success with the ball for the home team.
Left-hander Raymon Reifer has four fifties in 285 runs and been ‘mister consistency’ in this tournament, while another all-rounder; Chris Barnwell with 266 with two half-centuries including an unbeaten 99 have both been in excellent form.
Trevon Griffith (215) and Leon Johnson (208) are the other batsmen with 200 runs, while Sherfane Rutherford’s highest score is 69 and has been very positive in his new role at the top of the order during the power-play overs.
Anthony Bramble, Romario Shepherd, Veerasammy Permaul, Ricardo Adams and Clinton Pestano can all bat as well which provides the Jaguars plenty of fire power against a team playing in their first ever final.
The bowling will be led by the impressive Pestano with 14 wickets and the only hat-trick by a Guyanese in 50-over cricket, while off-spinner Ramaal Lewis (12), Permaul, Shepherd, Barnwell, Rutherford and Adams will lend support with the ball in a wonderfully balanced team.