JOHN’S, Antigua – Barbados Pride and Jamaica Scorpions, two of the strongest contenders for the title, will look to make hay while reigning champions and current leaders Guyana Jaguars cool out during the ninth round of the Digicel Regional 4-Day Tournament, starting tomorrow.
Only four of the six regional franchises – including the Pride and Scorpions – will be taking the field this weekend, as the teams begin their final push towards the Headley/Weekes Trophy, symbol of R4Day supremacy.
The match between the Jaguars and Leeward Islands Hurricanes originally carded for this weekend at the Guyana National Stadium has been pushed back two weeks, due to the three One-day Internationals between West Indies and Pakistan being contested tomorrow, Sunday and Tuesday at the same venue.
Victories for the Pride over Trinidad & Tobago Red Force under the lights on home soil at Kensington Oval in Barbados and for the Scorpions against Windward Islands Volcanoes on the road at the Arnos Vale Sports Complex in St. Vincent could mount even more pressure on the Jaguars to stay in front and complete their three-peat, when they resume play for what will be the final full round of matches the following week.
Both the Pride and the Scorpions won the first-leg matches against their opposition for this weekend, as recent results trend strongly in their favour against the Red Force and Volcanoes respectively.
The Pride have won eight of the last 10 matches over the last five years against the Red Force including four of the last five at Kensington Oval, and the Scorpions have edged the Volcanoes in four of the last five contests over the last three seasons, but have split the two matches they have played at the venue for this weekend’s match during the same time period.
All the sides playing this weekend, expect the Volcanoes, have been ravaged in one way or the other, either through West Indies duty, selection policy or injury, and a number of uncapped players are likely to make their first-class debuts which should help to make the outcomes of the matches far more exciting.
Squads:
Barbados Pride vs Trinidad & Tobago Red Force
(AT KENSINGTON OVAL, BARBADOS)
BARBADOS PRIDE (from): Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Anthony Alleyne, Roston Chase, Kyle Corbin, Shane Dowrich, Justin Greaves, Aaron Jones, Preston McSween, Rachid O’Neale, Kevin Stoute, Jomel Warrican, Ryan Wiggins, Kenroy Williams
IN-Corbin, Jones, McSween, O’Neale, Wiggins, OUT-Shamarh Brooks, Miguel Cummins, Keon Harding, Shai Hope, Ashley Nurse
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO RED FORCE (from): Marlon Richards (captain), Yannick Cariah, Bryan Charles, Akiel Cooper, Sheldon Cottrell, Amir Jangoo, Imran Khan, Ewart Nicholson, Kjorn Ottley, Khary Pierre, Roshon Primus, Isaiah Rajah, Tion Webster
IN-Cooper, Jangoo, Nicholson, Ottley, Primus, Webster, OUT-Nicholas Alexis, Rayad Emrit, Kyle Hope, Steven Katwaroo, Anderson Phillip, Jeremy Solozano
UMPIRES: Johnathan Blades, Christopher Taylor (Jamaica)
MATCH REFEREE: Stephen Proverbs
RESERVE UMPIRE: Ryan Willoughby
Windward Islands Volcanoes vs Jamaica Scorpions
(AT ARNOS VALE SPORTS COMPLEX, ST. VINCENT)
WINDWARD ISLANDS VOLCANOES (from): Liam Sebastien (captain), Sunil Ambris, Larry Edward, Andre Fletcher, Delorn Johnson, Keddy Lesporis, Sherman Lewis, Kyle Mayers, Kenroy Peters, Jerlani Robinson, Shane Shillingford, Devon Smith, Tyron Theophile
IN-Edward, Fletcher, OUT-Gian Benjamin, Roland Cato
JAMAICA SCORPIONS (from): Nikita Miller (captain), Fabian Allen, Jermaine Blackwood, Dennis Bulli, John Campbell, Derval Green, Trevon Griffith, Marquino Mindley, Paul Palmer Jr, Peat Salmon, Jerome Taylor, Devon Thomas, Oraine Williams
IN-Bulli, Salmon, Taylor, OUT-Damion Jacobs, Brandon King, Andre McCarthy
UMPIRES: Deighton Butler, Leslie Reifer, Jr
MATCH REFEREE: Carlyle Felix
RESERVE UMPIRE: Roger Davis