Friday marks the commencement of the West Indies Cricket Board Professional Cricket League Digicel Regional 4-Day Tournament and the Guyana Jaguars, who are the current defending champions after winning the title for the past two years, will be on the hunt for a three-peat.
It is with this in mind Assistant Coach and Manager Rayon Griffith believes that the team must begin the season well as they seek to continue their winning ways when the play their first match against the Jamaica Scorpions at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence.
“It’s a new season and we have to take it one step at a time, we have to start from game one and move from there with the same intensity for the rest of the series,” Griffith firmly stated.
The assistant coach comments came after sheepherding the team along with Head coach Esuan Crandon through intense fielding drills then addressing areas for technical improvement during the net-session the National Stadium on Tuesday.
The both coaches were at the time playing keen emphasis on the batsmen with Test batsman Leon Johnson and consistent run getter Vishaul Singh facing the bulks of the bowling, seeking to improve on weak areas.
The Jaguars players during warm up drills at Providence
Last week, the players were involved in a four-day practice match at the Everest Cricket Ground and for the past days were based at the stadium.
Questioned on how preparations have going thus far, Griffith said, “preparations are going good so far, I was not here for about two months but they were doing some work and I’m very happy with the look of the team since I saw the practice game at Everest and there were some good performances and even in the nets here for the last two days, the guys have look good.
Last season, Captain Johnson topped the batting charts while Singh came third and helped team post challenging first innings totals while spinners Gudakesh Motie and Veerasammy Permaul for the early part of the season wreaked havoc on opposition batsmen.
This the manager revealed is the reason for the continued success, “the guys have batted well throughout the matches, I think once we have batted well in our first innings we do well, it is our strength since we will dominate, having said that, if we don’t, we still managed to bring back games with our bowling; also the team unity is great and is the most important thing.”
Meanwhile, the Scorpions will be led by Nilita Miller a veteran of 80 first-class matches. Miller, who has 403 wickets at an average of 16.87, is a vital component of the Scorpions’ bowling attack.
He expects wrist-spinner Damion Jacobs, who was recently with the West Indies A team in Sri Lanka, and pace bowlers Jason Dawes and Marquino Mindley to pose plenty of problems for opposing batsmen.
The batting unit comprises West Indies batsman Jermaine Blackwood, former youth regional side opener John Campbell, and the West Indies A team pair of middle-order batsman Andre McCarthy and wicketkeeper/batsman Chadwick Walton.
Guyanese-born left-handed, top-order batsman Trevon Griffith and Antiguan utility player Devon Thomas are the two overseas-based players drafted.
Miller thinks it is a combination that could see the Scorpions reaping silverware this season.
Guyana Jaguars Squad reads: Rajendra Chandrika, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Shimron Hetmyer, Leon Johnson (Captain), Vishaul Singh (Vice Captain), Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Raymon Reifer, Anthony Bramble, Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo, Gudakesh Motie, Keon Joseph, Christopher Barnwell.
Team Management: Esuan Crandon (Coach), Rayon Griffith (Assistant Coach/Manager) and Beverley Nelson (Physio)
Jamaica Scorpions: Nikita Miller (captain), John Campbell, Trevon Griffith, Shacoya Thomas, Devon Thomas, Brandon King, Jermaine Blackwood, Andre McCarthy, Chadwick Walton, Damion Jacobs, Jason Dawes, Marquino Mindley and Derval Green.
