Both the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force and Guyana’s Golden Jaguars have been playing like champions, with the Red Force slightly edging out their opponents after winning four on the trot, having recently disposed of the Windies ‘B’ team by 70 runs.
Leon Johnson
The Jaguars also have their tails up, having secured a 93-run win over the defending champs Windward Volcanoes in their last game. This makes today’s clash even sweeter.
The Jaguars will back their batting order, now firing; but as seen in the last game, Windies ODI selectee Chandrapaul Hemraj made way for hard-hitting all-rounder Ricardo Adams. The move prompted another Windies selectee in Sherfane Rutherford to be used as a makeshift opener, and it paid off, as the pugnacious all-rounder carved 69 from 60-odd balls.
Denesh Ramdin
Against a more seasoned Red Force side, it will be interesting to see if Hemraj, with a masterful ton to his name in the last game he played, could make his return, and where he bats, if so. Opener Trevon Griffith is fresh off a 50, while the veteran Chris Barnwell will be looking for that 100 which eluded him by a run a few games ago. The all-rounders in Raymon Reifer and Romario Shepherd will be tasked with the utility roles.
A slight concern for the Jaguars will be the form of their skipper Leon Johnson, who has been short of runs but could tap into his rich form demonstrated in the recent domestic competition, as he will be itching to make a significant score.
The Red Force are also in brilliant batting form, led by the dangerous wicket-keeper Nicholas Pooran, who made consecutives scores of 89, 75 and 66 to his name. The veterans have also been peaking over the recent matches, with skipper Denesh Ramdin, opener Lendl Simmons and Jason Mohammed all smashing fifties in their last match. Experienced all-rounder Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard have also been playing cameos, and could be x-factors come Saturday.
When it comes to the bowling aspect, both teams will rest east, as they possess a star-studded battery of operators in that department.
Ravi Rampaul
Spin will be a key factor in the game, as the Jags as well as the Red Force would want to unleash their slower bowlers, which have been getting them success over the recent games. Guyana will bank on Veerasammy Permaul and Ramaal Lewis, who shared 7 wickets in the last game, while pacer Clinton Pestano, Shepherd, Reifer and Barnwell will lead the seam attack.
Chris Barnwell
The Trinidadian spinners have been in immaculate form too, with superstar Sunil Narine back to his old wicket-taking ways, along with spin-twin Kharry Pierre, who remains a big player. The pace unit will be led by the experienced pair of Ravi Rampaul, Rayad Emrit and Bravo, with Pollard coming in handy if needed.
The Jaguars, thanks to their rampaging win over the Volcanoes, shot up to second place with 15 points, trailing the leaders Red Force by 3, with the winner of today’s clash possibly securing a spot as the number one team in Group A. Action is set to get underway from 11:30h at the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium.
