Jaguars wing out as Regional 4-Day bowls off Thursday

2018-19 CWI Regional 4-Day Championships

With little to prove and a lot to achieve, reigning 4-time Regional 4-Day champs Guyana Jaguars depart these local shores today for St Lucia, where on December 6 they will battle the Windward Volcanoes in the 2018-19 season’s opener.

Leon Johnson and his men will be on a quest to show why they are the most dominant 4-day unit in the last four years

Guyana have reigned supreme for the past 4 seasons of this tournament, and have even gone unbeaten throughout a previous season; but they will now have a more significant piece of history looming should they be able to capture/retain their title for the 5th straight year.
With the team selected and players fit and ready, the Jaguars will be favourites this season, although they have gone through minor changes due to some of their stars being on international duty.
The Jaguars still retain most of their championship players, who have cemented themselves as the seniors despite no player having reached 35 years in age.
Lone newbie selectee Tevin Imlach was given his cap, so to speak, after he was named in the Jags 13 on Friday. The team had broken up into two sides and had conducted a pair of 3-day practice games, wherein several of them showed glimpses of good form.
Two centurions, opener Trevon Griffith and skipper Leon Johnson, as two of the senior players in the side, have signalled their no-nonsense intentions early.
Opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul, who is likely to partner with the in-form Griffith come game time, was also among the runs in the practice game with a solid half-century. The players utilised the 6 days of competitive cricket to get themselves into Test cricket mode, after recently completing a near-successful Regional Super50, where they made it to the finals.
Earlier in the week, both Johnson and Assistant Coach/Manager Rayon Griffith told this newspaper that the team was in a positive frame of mind, and was looking to play a high brand of cricket when they commence their title defence.
Griffith credited the players for putting their hands to the proverbial wheel during the practice games, as he said it allowed them to spend time in the middle and get their feet moving.
Johnson, meanwhile, pointed out that it is important to not get carried away by records or matches won. He said that playing responsible cricket and sticking to the script will continue the flow of success the team has managed to endure over the seasons.
The team is expected to get themselves conditioned between today and Thursday’s clash against the Volcanoes. (Clifton Ross)

Guyana Jaguars team:
Leon Johnson (captain), Vishaul Singh (vice-captain), Trevon Griffith, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Anthony Bramble, Veerasammy Permaul, Gudakesh Motie, Akshaya Persaud, Christopher Barnwell, Clinton Pestano, Romario Shepherd, Keon Joseph and Tevin Imlach