KINGSTON, Jamaica, (CMC) - Jamaica and Guyana, two teams that have featured prominently in the new two-tier format of the West Indies first-class championship, find themselves in a scrap for major points in their second round match of the Carib Beer 2004 Cricket Series, starting today at Sabina Park.
Both teams suffered setbacks in the opening. Jamaica conceded first innings points to host Windward Islands at Beausejour, while Guyana, their bowling weakened by Rayon Thomas leaving the field during his first over, suffered a 10-wicket lost at the hands of champions Barbados at Bridgetown.
The two camps expressed optimism ahead of the match, while none can afford to accept less than first innings points.
Guyana’s coach Albert Smith anticipated a much-improved performance from his team.
“We expect to do better than in the first game,” he said. “We were a bit disappointed with our batting, but in the second innings we had some positives and so we are looking forward to the match.”
Jamaica’s captain Gareth Breese believes his team learnt quite a bit from their performance in the match against Windward Islands.
Former Young Jamaica captain Tamar Lambert made 38 and 76 on debut, while Keith Hibbert, Donovon Pagon and David Bernard Jr, all had useful scores, along with Brenton Parchment.
Off-spinners Nehemiah Perry and Breese, left-arm spinner Ryan Cunningham, who took seven wickets against Windwards, and Andrew Richardson, should once again carry the bulk of the bowling for Jamaica.
Although they did not get maximum points from Windwards, Breese was fairly happy with their performances and that their confidence will be boosted knowing that they enter the match with home advantage.
With a batting line-up that includes Krishna Arjune and Sewnarine Chattergoon, two players that got big half-centuries in the team’s losing effort against Barbados, as well as Narsingh Deonarine, Azeemul Haniff, Lennox Cush and Travis Dowlin, Guyana’s batting has some solidity, but Jamaica would hope it does not click against them.
On the bowling side, once again left-arm spinner Neil McGarrell, the Guyana captain, and leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo, two players who represented the West Indies, are the visitors’ trump cards.
Both McGarrell and Nagamootoo can determine if Guyana leaves Sabina Park with points or not and both are capable of destroying a young and inexperienced Jamaican batting line-up, if they can get it right.
Although they did not bowl particularly well against the Barbadians, the two spin bowlers will need more support from the rest of the attack than they received in Bridgetown, and this will be the key to keeping up the kind of pressure that would allow them to scythe through the Jamaica batting.
Squads:
GUYANA (from): Neil McGarrell (captain), Mahendra Nagamootoo (vice-captain), Sewnarine Chattergoon, Azeemul Haniff, Krishna Arjune, Lennox Cush, Travis Dowlin, Narsingh Deonarine, Vishaul Nagamootoo, Rayon Griffith, Rayon Thomas, Esaun Crandon, Andre Percival.
JAMAICA (from): Gareth Breese (captain), Donovon Pagon, Brenton Parchment, Tamar Lambert, Dave Bernard, Mario Ventura, Keith Hibbert, Lorenzo Ingram, Ryan Cunningham, Evon McInnis, Dwight Mais, Andrew Richardson and Nehemiah Perry.
UMPIRES: Colin Fletcher, Dalton Holder (Reserve: Maurice Chung).