Ja eye full points against CCC
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — Barbados will look to keep pace with leaders Jamaica, while hosts Guyana will hope to finally jump-start their campaign when the fifth round of the WICB first-class championship bowls off today.
The Barbadians, with two wins and two draws to their credit already, have 33 points and are just three behind unbeaten Jamaica, who have 36.
Foremost in their minds will be the fact they will need to continue winning if they are to bring the tournament down to the next round in Trinidad & Tobago when they clash with Jamaica.
Out to gain full points from this round, Barbados face doormats Guyana, who have struggled in their three matches so far with two losses and one draw, earning just seven points.
Guyana, meanwhile, will welcome back the country’s chief run-scorer in Test batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who is likely to suit up for his first match of the tournament.
Jamaica, marching towards their third straight four-day title, will fancy their chances of picking full points when they face Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) in the day/night match at the National Stadium at Providence.
Having drawn a bye in the last round, Jamaica will be rested and be looking to inflict damage on the CCC side, who are third in the standings on 24 points.
Jamaica will be without out-of-favour Test pacer Daren Powell, who has quit the team for the rest of the season, and Brendan Nash, Nikita Miller and Wavell Hinds, who are on West Indies duty.
They have been replaced by leg-spinning all-rounder Nkrumah Bonner, fast bowlers Andre Russell and Jason Dawes, and off-spinner Bevon Brown.
At Bourda, the Leeward Islands and the Windwards will renew their rivalry and they too look to make headway in the competition.
CCC — Floyd Reifer (captain), Omar Phillips, Kyle Corbin, Jamal Smith, Ryan Austin, Kevin McClean, Khismar Catlin, Romel Currency, Kjorn Ottley, Kavesh Kantasingh, Chadwick Walton, Gavin Wallace, Gilford Moore.
JAMAICA — Tamar Lambert (captain), Brenton Parchment, Danza Hyatt, Donovan Pagon, David Bernard, Jr, Carlton Baugh, Jr, Odean Brown, Andrew Richardson, Shawn Findlay, Andre Russell, Nkrumah Bonner, Bevon Brown and Jason Dawes.