JOHN’S, Antigua – Round 3 of the Digicel Regional 4-Day Tournament, starting tomorrow, is shaping up to be packed with intrigue following a couple of earth-shattering results last weekend.
Jamaica Scorpions will host current leaders Barbados Pride in the feature match of the round at Sabina Park, Trinidad & Tobago Red Force will face a buoyant Leeward Islands Hurricanes at Queen’s Park Oval and Windward Islands Volcanoes will meet two-time defending champions Guyana Jaguars in a day/night affair, starting on Saturday, at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Ground.
In Kingston, Jamaica: Both the Scorpions and the Pride found their groove in the second round, leading them to confident victories.
The introduction of pace bowling points this season has made things very tight in the Championship table.
The Scorpions are fifth – following their 41-run, come-from-behind win over the Volcanoes – and are a mere 3.4 behind the Pride with the Hurricanes, Jaguars and Red Force bunched in between.
This means both teams have an incentive for a big haul of points this weekend to see if they can create some daylight between themselves and the rest of the teams that have put themselves in the frame for the title early.
In the last five matches between the two sides at this venue, both teams have won twice and the Pride dominated the other which was a draw.
So it will come down to which side shows greater heart over the next four days, since bowling appears to be the strength of the two teams, but the batting will hold the key to the result.
In Port of Spain, Trinidad: The Hurricanes will be fresh from their record-breaking run chase that should give them far more confidence and the Red Force will be smarting from a thumping at the hands of their arch-rivals.
This match will confirm one way or the other which of the two sides is the genuine article.
The Hurricanes will be looking to prove their best starts for several season has been down to proper preparation and careful planning, and the Red Force will be looking to debunk any questions about their legitimacy.
The two sides have shared the last four matches played between them in Trinidad which indicates that neither can afford to take the other lightly.
The Hurricanes, on paper, appear to hold the edge with a number of regulars, but the Red Force can be a difficult side to overcome in their conditions when they put their collective minds to the task.
In Gros-Islet, St. Lucia: Both the Volcanoes and the Jaguars will be looking to rebound from demoralising defeats in the previous round.
The Volcanoes failed to chase down a modest target of 105 against the Scorpions, and the Jaguars failed to make the inroads into the Hurricanes batting, conceding the highest fourth innings total to win in the history of the modern (1966 onwards) R4Day.
History favours the Jaguars: They have won the last four contests between the two sides at home and on the road including last year’s match at this venue.
Squads:
Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Leeward Islands Hurricanes
(AT QUEEN’S PARK OVAL, TRINIDAD)
RED FORCE (from): Yannick Ottley (captain), Yannic Cariah, Sheldon Cottrell, Jyd Goolie, Kyle Hope, Jon-Russ Jagessar, Steven Katwaroo, Imran Khan, Khary Pierre, Roshon Primus, Isaiah Rajah, Marlon Richards, Jeremy Solozano
Squad unchanged
HURRICANES (from): Kieran Powell (captain), Quinton Boatswain, Nkrumah Bonner, Kacey Carty, Rahkeem Cornwall, Jahmar Hamilton, Montcin Hodge, Chesney Hughes, Jeremiah Louis, Akeem Saunders, Jacques Taylor, Gavin Tonge, Hayden Walsh Jr
Squad unchanged
UMPIRES: Danesh Ramdhanie, Gregory Brathwaite (Barbados)
MATCH REFEREE: Michael Ragoonath
RESERVE UMPIRE: Lyndon Rajkumar
Jamaica Scorpions vs Barbados Pride
(AT SABINA PARK, JAMAICA)
SCORPIONS (from): Nikita Miller (captain), Fabian Allen, Jermaine Blackwood, John Campbell, Derval Green, Trevon Griffith, Damion Jacobs, Brandon King, Reynard Leveridge, Andre McCarthy, Devon Thomas, Shacaya Thomas, Chadwick Walton
IN-Allen, OUT-Marquino Mindley
PRIDE (from): Kevin Stoute (captain), Anthony Alleyne, Shamarh Brooks, Roston Chase, Nikolai Charles, Justin Greaves, Aaron Jones, Kevin McClean, Omar Phillips, Mario Rampersaud, Kemar Roach, Jomel Warrican, Kenroy Williams
Squad unchanged
UMPIRES: Jacqueline Williams, Nigel Duguid (Guyana)
MATCH REFEREE: Michael Hylton
RESERVE UMPIRE: Athol Hamilton
Windward Islands Volcanoes vs Guyana Jaguars
(AT DAREN SAMMY NATIONAL CRICKET GROUND, ST. LUCIA)
VOLCANOES (from): Liam Sebastien (captain), Sunil Ambris, Roland Cato, Larry Edwards, Kavem Hodge, Delorn Johnson, Mervin Matthew, Kyle Mayers, Kenroy Peters, Jerlani Robinson, Shane Shillingford, Devon Smith, Tyrone Theophile
Squad unchanged
JAGUARS (from): Leon Johnson (captain), Christopher Barnwell, Anthony Bramble, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Rajendra Chandrika, Shimron Hetmyer, Keon Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Veerasammy Permaul, Raymon Reifer, Romario Shepherd, Vishaul Singh
Squad unchanged
UMPIRES: Deighton Butler, Joel Wilson (Trinidad & Tobago)
MATCH REFEREE: Patrick Felix
RESERVE UMPIRE: Roger Davis