By Clifton Ross
Defending Jaguars 50 Over Champions Lower Corentyne are ready to tackle Georgetown in the play-offs and possibly advance to the finals, as they seek to retain their title; according to Coach Leslie Solomon.
After rain forced the play-offs which were originally set for Thursday, to a new, undisclosed date; Guyana Times Sport caught up with the Coach who said his team despite being disappointed at the number of games curtailed by inclement weather, were still in a positive mindset.
“The fellows were disappointed because 2 of their 3 matches which were against weaker franchises were called off due to rain and we were sure that we could have gotten full points from those encounters,” said Solomon.
Balchand Baldeo
Lower Corentyne finished second in the Jaguars 3-Day League, coming up a few points short behind winners and current 50 Over finalists; Essequibo. Solomon said his players will be placing heavy emphasis on the Georgetown encounter before setting their sights on retaining their title when and if they meet Essequibo in the final.
“In the three day league we brought second and we could have possibly won if Essequibo didn’t come-from-behind. Our team is more of a one-day team because our players are good all-round players so I expect that when we play Georgetown we will have a keenly contested match.”
Anthony Adams,
He continued, “We know Georgetown will be coming full strength but we are confident because we have a good all-round team with batsmen who can bowl and bowlers who can bat so when we play I’m expecting a close match.”
With Essequibo unbeaten so far in the competition, the coach said while his team boasts numerous big players capable of turning a match on its head, he’s still wary about possible threats of facing Essequibo in the finals; should they ace the Georgetown assignment.
“We know Essequibo will be coming strong based on their current track record and the mode of cricket they’re playing. In the tree day we had a lead of 150 against them in one of the matches so it’s kind of a psychological boost for the guys. Anthony Adams got the bulk of the wicket so once we can nullify him for a few overs, we can force a win,” admitted the Coach.
Although both of Lower Corentyne’s opponents have a string of quality players, Solomon believed that his players have what it takes to conquer the upcoming challenges and help their franchise to retain their title.
“We have players like Anthony Bramble who is in good form, Clinton Pestano was good with bat and ball and we also have in-form players like Kandasammy Surujnarine and Balchand Baldeo. In the middle, players like Rajiv Ivan, Shawn Perreira and others have been playing well so we are all looking forward to the challenges ahead as we look to retain our title,” he ended.
