REIGNING champions Jamaica will look to extend their win-streak in the regional four-day competition when they battle Leeward Islands at Sabina Park starting this morning at 10:00 am.

The Jamaicans defeated Barbados and the Windward Islands in their two previous four-day outings and have 24 points.

Conversely, the struggling Leewards have played three matches, losing two and drawing one, and are second from the bottom of the standings with seven points.

The teams met as recently as Thursday in the Super50 tournament, but, despite a fighting 83 by Leewards, captain Sylvester Joseph, the visitors succumbed to a 57-run loss.

Danza Hyatt, skipper Tamar Lambert and Andre McCarthy all scored half-centuries for Jamaica, while pacer Andrew Richardson and left-arm orthodox slow bowler Nikita Miller grabbed three wickets each.

Though entering the clashes with the Leeward Islands as clear favourites, Jamaica’s manager Donovan Senior told the Jamaica Observer the team will not take the opposition lightly.

“…We can’t afford to drop our guard. We have to play some good cricket,” he said on Wednesday.

Joseph identified the fielding and the batting as two key areas in which the Leewards needed to improve.

“We are here to play two games and we already lost the Super50, so we have to focus on the four-day game. We have to improve on our catching because we dropped easy chances yesterday (Thursday) and generally made some blunders in the field.

“The batting has also been a concern all season, so now the batters have to push on and take responsibilty. The bowlers have done fairly well, so the batsmen have to put runs on the board,” Joseph said after yesterday’s practice session.

The Leewards should be boosted by the addition of Devon Thomas, who missed the One-Day encounter due to issues with his flight to Jamaica.

Other four-day matches starting today include Trinidad & Tobago clashing with the CCC in Port of Spain and a game between Barbados and the Windward Islands in Bridgetown.

SQUADS: Jamaica — Tamar Lambert (capt), Nkrumah Bonner, Simon Jackson, Danza Hyatt, Jermaine Blackwood, David Bernard, Carlton Baugh, Nikita Miller, Odean Brown, Andrew Richardson, Sheldon Cotterell, Zeniffe Fowler, Xavier Marshall.

Leeward Islands — Sylvester Joseph (capt), Montcin Hodge, Steve Liburd, Tonito Willett, Lindel Richardson, Devon Thomas, Jamar Hamilton, Anthony Martin, Kelbert Walters, Justin Athanaze, Anthony Martin, Akeem Saunders, Ezroy Powell.