WICB Media Release.
ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – Leaders Guyana Jaguars and nearest rivals Barbados Pride face inconsistent, but slippery opponents that could derail their title ambitions in the eighth round of the WICB Professional Cricket League Regional 4-Day Tournament, starting tomorrow.
With the final break of the season next weekend, the two teams will be looking to make a huge dip towards the finish line, as they take to the road for this weekend’s round of matches.
The Jaguars, the reigning R4Day champions, stumbled in the previous round, but did not fall and will want to return to winning ways, when they meet Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Beausejour Cricket Ground.
A huge haul of points to overcome the 17-point deficit they now face will be the aim of the Pride, when they tackle Jamaica Scorpions at Sabina Park.
At the same time – Trinidad & Tobago Red Force host Leeward Islands Hurricanes at the National Cricket Centre in a contest between two sides that have shown improvement as the second half of the season has unfolded.
InGros-Islet, St. Lucia: The Jaguars have a chance to put their hands firmly on the Headley/Weekes Trophy for the second straight year against the typically feisty Volcanoes.
The Jags were fortunate to escape from Bridgetown with their double-digit lead still in place, as their contest against the Pride ended in a “draw”.
Conversely, it was unfortunate for the Volcanoes that they left Charlotte Amalie with a similar outcome, after putting the Hurricanes under pressure in the second innings on the final day of their rain-affected contest.
Over the last decade, the Volcanoes have held the upper hand on the Jags, winning five times in 11 matches, but there has been an obvious shift in the balance of power, with the visitors winning on the last three occasions the two teams have met.
The Jaguars have travelled with an unchanged side, but the Volcanoes have made three changes, including bringing West Indies Under-19 World Cup-winning opener Gidron Pope into the fray.
In Kingston, Jamaica: The Pride also have a chance to keep their title hopes on course against the Scorpions, whose stocks have plunged as the season has progressed.
The Pride came close to inflicting the first defeat on the Jaguars for the season, but ran out of steam down the stretch, and had to settle for a draw, at the same time, the Scorpions’ season was dealt a cruel blow when Red Force crushed them by eight wickets.
The outcome will hinge upon how a line-up with three of the season’s top run-getters – Shamarh Brooks, Roston Chase and Shai Hope – negotiate a steady, if not spectacular attack that includes the season’s leading wicket-taker – veteran left-arm spinner Nikita Miller.
Jamaica held an edge in contests between the two sides over the last five years – but the visitors beat them earlier in this season and had the upper hand in the corresponding fixture last season.
In Couva, Trinidad: Both sides had a lot about which to write home after the previous round, but the Red Force grabbed a big win and the Hurricanes had to fight to stave off defeat after on their best batting performances for the season.
This contest has the potential to be the most explosive of the weekend however. Although the Red Force have dominated over the last five years, a five-wicket victory for the Hurricanes in the final round of matches last year in the corresponding fixture will be great motivation.
Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph and batsman Kacey Carty, two players that played a key role in the West Indies Under-19 World Cup-winning squad, have been brought in to reinforce the visitors.
Squads:
Windward Islands Volcanoes vs Guyana Jaguars
(AT THE BEAUSEJOUR CRICKET GROUND, ST. LUCIA)
VOLCANOES (from): Liam Sebastien (captain), Sunil Ambris, Alston Bobb, Kavem Hodge, Mervin Matthew, Kyle Mayers, Kevin McClean, Dalton Polius, Gidron Pope, Jerlani Robinson, Shane Shillingford, Devon Smith, Tyrone Theophile
IN–Matthew, Pope, Polius; OUT–Miles Bascombe, Keddy Lesporis, Kenroy Peters
JAGUARS (from): Leon Johnson (captain), Robin Bacchus, Ronsford Beaton, Devendra Bishoo, Anthony Bramble, Rajendra Chandrika, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Assad Fudadin, Keon Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Veerasammy Permaul, Raymon Reifer, Vishaul Singh
Unchanged
UMPIRES: Lennox Abraham, Gregory Brathwaite (Barbados)
MATCH REFEREE: Patrick Felix
RESERVE UMPIRE: Deighton Butler
Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Leeward Islands Hurricanes
(AT THE NATIONAL CRICKET CENTRE, TRINIDAD)
RED FORCE (from): Jason Mohammed (captain), Yannic Cariah, Narsingh Deonarine, Rayad Emrit, Kyle Hope, Akeal Hosein, Jon-Russ Jagessar, Steven Katwaroo, Imran Khan, Evin Lewis, Yannick Ottley, Marlon Richards, Jeremy Solozano
Unchanged
HURRICANES (from): Nkrumah Bonner (captain), Nelson Boland, Kacey Carty, Rahkeem Cornwall, Daron Cruickshank, Colin Hamer, Jahmar Hamilton, Montcin Hodge, Alzarri Joseph, Jeremiah Louis, Orlando Peters, Jacques Taylor, Gavin Tonge
IN–Joseph, Carty; OUT–Quinton Boatswain, Sherwin Peters
UMPIRES: Nandkumar Shivsankar (Guyana), Christopher Taylor (Jamaica)
MATCH REFEREE: Michael Ragoonath
RESERVE UMPIRE: Lyndon Rajkumar
Jamaica Scorpions vs Barbados Pride
(AT SABINA PARK, JAMAICA)
SCORPIONS (from): John Campbell (captain), Gavon Brown, Jason Dawes, Kirk Edwards, Nicholson Gordon, Trevon Griffith, Damion Jacobs, Brandon King, Andre McCarthy, Nikita Miller, Devon Thomas, Shacaya Thomas, Chadwick Walton
IN–Brown, Dawes, Griffith; OUT–Jermaine Blackwood, Sheldon Cottrell, Marquino Mindley
PRIDE (from): Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Shamarh Brooks, Jonathan Carter, Roston Chase, Kyle Corbin, Miguel Cummins, Shane Dowrich, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope, Omar Phillips, Kevin Stoute, Hayden Walsh Jr, Jomel Warrican
IN–Warrican; OUT–Keon Harding
UMPIRES: Christopher Wright, Nigel Duguid (Guyana)
MATCH REFEREE: Michael Hylton
RESERVE UMPIRE: Rushane Samuels
OFFICIAL POINTS STANDINGS
Following are the Official Points Standings after the fifth round of matches ended on Monday in the WICB Professional Cricket League Regional 4-Day Tournament.
Abbreviations: Pts-total points, M-matches, W-won, L-lost, T-tied, I-incomplete match, A-abandoned match, DP-Abandoned match due to dangerous pitch, MR-match referee awarding match, Bat-batting points, Bowl-bowling points
Scoring of Points: As below plus any points under the bonus points system –
Completed match
Outright win 12 + batting + bowling points
Tied match
6 points each team + batting + bowling points
Incomplete (drawn) match
No outright winner 3 points each team + batting + bowling points
Abandoned match
In the event of a match being abandoned without any play having taken place 1 point each
Abandoned match due to dangerous pitch
Home Team 0
Visiting Team 12
Referee awarding match
Team Awarded Match 12
Other Team 0
Bonus points awarded only for performances in the first 110 overs of each team’s first innings only and retained whatever the result of the match.
A maximum of five batting points will be awarded based on runs scored by each team as follows:
200 to 249 runs – 1 point
250 to 299 runs – 2 points
300 to 349 runs – 3 points
350 to 399 runs – 4 points
400 runs or over – 5 points
A maximum of three bowling points will be awarded based on wickets taken by each team as follows:
3 to 5 wickets taken – 1 point
6 to 8 wickets taken – 2 points
9 to 10 wickets taken – 3 points
For the avoidance of doubt, “wickets taken” shall relate exclusively to batsmen dismissed under Laws 30 to 39 inclusive and to batsmen retired out.
If penalty runs are awarded to a team which at that time had faced less than 110 overs in their first innings, or completed their first innings before they had faced 110 overs, those penalty runs will be considered as counting towards the total as far as the award of bonus points is concerned.
If penalty runs are awarded to a team which had already faced 110 overs or more in their first innings, or had previously completed their first innings after they had faced 110 overs, those penalty runs will not be considered as counting towards the total as far as the award of bonus points is concerned.
RESULTS OF MATCHES
Round 1 – November 6 to 9
Jaguars beat Volcanoes by 104 runs – National Cricket Stadium, Guyana
Hurricanes lost to Red Force by an innings and 23 runs – Warner Park, St. Kitts
Pride beat Scorpions by 10 wickets – Kensington Oval, Barbados
Round 2 – November 13 to 16
Scorpions beat Volcanoes by 30 runs – Sabina Park, Jamaica
Pride drew with Red Force – Kensington Oval, Barbados
Jaguars beat Hurricanes by an innings and 35 runs – National Cricket Stadium, Guyana
Round 3 – November 20 to 23
Volcanoes beat Hurricanes by 8 wickets – Windsor Park, Dominica
Jaguars beat Pride by 9 wickets – National Cricket Stadium, Guyana
Red Force lost to Scorpions by 6 wickets – Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad
Round 4 – December 4 to 7
Volcanoes lost to Pride by 181 runs – National Cricket Stadium, Grenada
Scorpions beat Hurricanes by 3 wickets – Sabina Park, Jamaica
Red Force lost to Jaguars by an innings and 49 runs – Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad
Round 5 – December 11 to 14
Scorpions lost to Jaguars by 117 runs – Sabina Park, Jamaica
Volcanoes drew with Red Force – Beausejour Cricket Ground, St. Lucia
Pride beat Hurricanes by 10 wickets – Kensington Oval, Barbados
Round 6 – February 11 to 14
Hurricanes beat Scorpions by 85 runs – Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, Antigua
Round 6 – February 12 to 15
Pride beat Volcanoes by an innings and 56 runs – Kensington Oval, Barbados
Jaguars beat Red Force by 105 runs – National Cricket Stadium, Guyana
Round 7 – February 19 to 22
Hurricanes vs Volcanoes, match incomplete (drawn) – Cancryn Junior High School, St. Thomas
Pride vs Jaguars, match incomplete (drawn) – Kensington Oval, Barbados
Scorpions lost to Red Force by 8 wickets – Sabina Park, Jamaica
REMAINING MATCHES
(Scheduled start 10 am daily, except where indicated)
Round 8 – February 26 to 29
Volcanoes vs Jaguars – Beausejour Cricket Ground, St. Lucia
Red Force vs Hurricanes – National Cricket Centre, Trinidad
Scorpions vs Pride – Sabina Park, Jamaica
***LATE SEASON BREAK***
Round 9 – March 11 to 14
Volcanoes vs Scorpions – Arnos Vale Multiplex, St. Vincent
Red Force vs Pride – National Cricket Centre, Trinidad
Hurricanes vs Jaguars – Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, Antigua
Round 10 – March 18 to 21
Red Force vs Volcanoes – National Cricket Centre, Trinidad
Jaguars vs Scorpions – National Cricket Stadium, Guyana
Hurricanes vs Pride – Warner Park, St. Kitts
ONLINE COVERAGE
1. Match reports and other tournament details here, www.windiescricket.com
2. Select one of the links below to watch single-camera, “live” webcasts of the matches:
-View Volcanoes vs Jaguars here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wimatchone
-View Red Force vs Hurricanes here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wimatchtwo
-View Scorpions vs Pride here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wimatchthree
3. Images from selected matches will be available here, R4Day images
4. Follow “live” text updates on Twitter here, windiesregional
5. Audio files (mp3) of media opportunities will be available here, WICB Media
6. Video files of media opportunities will be available here, Windies Cricket TV
WICB Media Release.