This year’s super 50 tournament is expected to be exciting and very competitive. The tournament will be played in Barbados and Antigua with ten teams divided into two groups, the highest number of teams in the tournament’s history.
This year the tournament will feature; Trinidad and Tobago Red Force who are the reigning champions, 2016 runners up, Barbados Pride with 12 players with International experience, Guyana Jaguars are the most consistent team in regional cricket for the past two years, new comers English County side, Kent Spit fires, the consistent Jamaica Scorpions, Windward Volcanoes and Leeward Hurricanes, Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) Marooners and the International Cricket Council (ICC) Youth champions the West Indies Under 19 team, will all be vying for this year’s title.
The tournament will commence on January 24, under a week’s time and the anticipation has started to build up with former Guyana fast bowler, now cricket analyst and Coach Jermaine Neblett, calling the title in favour of the Jaguars.
“It is always expected that the Jaguars will do well, taking into account that the Jaguars may be one of the teams that have a nucleus of players playing consistently together. If you look at the rest of teams; playing in Barbados at home they will be a force to reckon with, Trinidad Red Force, I think is a bit off at the moment… it will be quite interesting cricket, but I would give Jaguars the nod because they have players in their team, who know about winning games and championships.”
The 42 year old believes the experience of Shivnarine Chanderpaul should have a positive outcome on the Jaguars once the veteran batsman play his right role. “There is experience in the team, especially with Chanderpaul there and if he plays the role that he is capable of playing then the Jaguars could go all the way to the finals as well as be victorious this time.”
There are other familiar names in the Jaguars, who have featured several years at the regional level, however, Neblett opined that the dark horses for Guyana could be opening batsman Shimron Hetmyer because he is relatively fresh in senior cricket and is very talented and pacer Paul Wintz because much is not expected from Guyana fast bowlers but he is one that once he gets it right he bowls a good line and length coupled with variation and could be a handful.
There have been mixed views since the team was announced more than a week ago, nevertheless, the Police Cricket Team coach believes it’s a “fairly balanced team” and he is happy to see Assad Fudadin and Jonathan Foo included.
According to Neblett some players could count themselves unlucky while others are fortunate, but those who are regular members should step up their game.
Due to their consistency, hard work and developments, Neblett said Vishaul Singh, Romario Shepherd and Kevin Boodie were unfortunate to miss out but they should not be bothered. While on the other hand Christopher Barnwell and Rajendrika Chandrika are lucky to be there after strings of inconsistencies with the bat. However, Neblett sum up Guyana’s batting as strong with a few areas that need to improve while spinners Devendra Bishoo and Veerasammy Permaul were described as the mole of consistency in Guyana’s solid bowling department. The Jaguars will open its campaign against Pride at Kensington Oval on the opening day.
