Return of West Indies players to spice up Regional 4-Day

A number of West Indies players have returned from recent international duty to spice up the rivalries, beginning today, in the eighth round of the 2019-20 West Indies Championship.

Players such as West Indies Test Captain Jason Holder, left-handed batsmen Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer, as well as pacer Alzarri Joseph are among the changes to the teams in what could be a pivotal round of the Championship.
After all, the race for the Headley/Weekes Trophy, the symbol of supremacy in the Championship, is still very open, after there were unexpected outcomes in the previous round of matches that have impacted on all of the teams.
With a maximum of 24 points available in every round, 72 points are left on the table for each team in the Championship, so they all, especially front-running Barbados Pride and five-time defending champions Guyana Jaguars, will chase as many as possible to make secure their places in the points table.
Pride currently head the standings in the Championship on 116 points – 30.2 clear of the Jaguars – and this weekend’s day-night contest, a renewal of the longest-running rivalry in the domestic West Indies First-Class competition, at the Guyana National Stadium, could play a huge role in the final destination of the title.
Trinidad and Tobago Red Force and Windward Islands Volcanoes, the two teams which won in the previous round to solidly move into mid-table positions, will be seeking to enhance their chances of seriously getting into the final mix for the title at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.
And, Leeward Islands Hurricanes and Jamaica Scorpions will be looking for a strong finish to the season when they face-off at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.

Red Force v Volcanoes in Tarouba, Trinidad
Red Force will relish the return of Bravo to further boost their batting line-up, which came into the picture strongly with their victory in the previous round against the Pride at the venue for this weekend’s contest.
Volcanoes are not so blessed, but the choice of left-arm pacer Obed McCoy as an injury replacement for Test pacer Shermon Lewis could add more firepower to their attack, which set up their victory over the Scorpions in the previous round.
Weather badly disrupted their fourth-round match last month in Dominica, but the storyline remains similar going into that contest. Neither side will want to fall behind and will chase a big haul of points that would keep them in step with the front-running pair.
Their rivalry has been fierce in the PCL era of the Championship with the Volcanoes holding a 5-4 edge over Red Force – and the visitors have reason for hope in this match, having won the contest between the two sides last season.
Red Force: Imran Khan (Captain); Bryan Charles; Cephas Cooper; Joshua da Silva; Jyd Goolie; Kyle Hope; Akeal Hosein; Jason Mohammed; Uthman Muhammad; Khary Pierre; Anderson Phillip; Isaiah Rajah and Daniel St Clair.
IN – Bravo, Hinds; OUT – Bryan Charles, Khary Pierre
Volcanoes: Sunil Ambris (Captain); Roland Cato; Keron Cottoy; Kenneth Dember; Larry Edward; Andre Fletcher; Kavem Hodge; Ryan John; Obed McCoy; Preston McSween; Kimani Melius; Devon Smith and Emmanuel Stewart.
IN–McCoy; OUT–Shermon Lewis

Hurricanes v Scorpions in North Sound, Antigua
Hurricanes, too, will be excited to have Joseph lead their attack, but the return of West Indies leg-spinner Hayden Walsh Jr to their colours, after he spent the last two seasons with the Pride, comes at the right time.
West Indies off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall will be missing from the line-up for this match, and the presence of Walsh and his new bag of tricks are more-than-adequate cover for his fellow international. Hurricanes easily had their best batting performance for the season against the Jaguars in the previous round on the road and earned a draw. Replicating that performance will be their challenge.
Scorpions had a match to forget in the previous round. They were bowled out for a double-figure total in the second innings, after scoring nearly 400 in the first innings, and though the bowlers made things interesting in the chase, they lost.
A big haul of points could still keep the Scorpions a long-shot for the title, so there is still an incentive for them to keep up appearances, but the Hurricanes are practically out of the race and playing for the enhancement of personal records. Again, bowling appears to be the strength for both sides, but it will be the batting that could ultimately turn the match in favour of either team.
All 11 matches between the two sides in the PCL era of the Championship have been decided by a victory, with the Scorpions holding a 7-4 edge, including a five-wicket victory in the fifth round this season.
Hurricanes: Jahmar Hamilton (Captain); Keacy Carty; Montcin Hodge; Amir Jangoo; Alzarri Joseph; Jeremiah Louis; Kian Pemberton; Jaison Peters; Kieran Powell; Ross Powell; Akeem Saunders; Hayden Walsh Jr and Terance Warde.
IN – Joseph, Peters, Walsh; OUT – Sheno Berridge, Rahkeem Cornwall, Adelvin Phillip
Scorpions: John Campbell (Captain); Jermaine Blackwood; Nkrumah Bonner; Gordon Bryan; Derval Green; Patrick Harty Jr; Andre McCarthy; Jamie Merchant; Marquino Mindley; Paul Palmer Jr; Denis Smith; Alwyn Williams and Oraine Williams.
IN – McCarthy; OUT – Dennis Bulli