Guyana and West Indies batting star Shivnarine Chanderpaul returns to add depth and experience to the Guyana team in their crucial KFC fifth round match against Barbados at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground Bourda, today.
Dwayne Smith, who like Chanderpaul was on duty in India with the West Indies, will add his all-round talent to Barbados in what is a must-win match for Guyana.
Guyana go into today’s match in third place tied with Jamaica on eight points and need a win to control their own destiny and end up in the final four play-off set for St Vincent February 15-17.
The scenarios are, if Guyana beats Barbados the worst they can finish is tied for second. If Guyana loses to Barbados and Windwards beats Leewards and Jamaica beats Trinidad then Guyana will finish 5th and out of the competition. The only way Guyana can advance if they lose is if Jamaica and the Windward Islands also lose.
Chanderpaul has been in fantastic form, coming off a four-match tour of India where he led the West Indies batting average scoring 230 runs from three matches with an average of 115.
“We have a very balanced team and even though I was not around for the Carib Beer four-day match against the same opponents, the guys are not down, I know the guys will be eagerly anticipating a good game and essentially, we will win it,” said the former West Indies captain on Thursday at the Everest Cricket Club ground.
The Guyana batting needs the strengthening. Skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan is out for three weeks with a hand injury, while the rest of the batting line-up did not seem comfortable against the Barbados pace attack, especially Tino Best who grabbed 5-25 as the Guyana team without Sarwan capitulated for 90 in their second innings.
Narsingh Deonarine, who led the side in the first two away matches but missed the last game against Barbados, has been given the job of captaining the team once more in the absence of the injured Sarwan.
The Guyana openers will need to provide a platform upon which the rest of the batsmen can build.
Esaun Crandon, leg spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo and young left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul are the front-line bowlers and though Reon King has been included in the line-up it is a toss-up whether he will be in the final XI.
Corey Collymore will probably come into the Barbados side at the expense of Fidel Edwards, although Edwards had the Guyanese in trouble with his pace while Pedro Collins bowled long, accurate spells and even though he only got one wicket his bowling was very effective.
Skipper Ryan Hinds, who won the Man-of the-Match award for his eight-wicket match-haul which included a hat trick, should play key roles with bat and ball.
Hinds, along with Ryan Austin or the unpredictable but talented Sulieman Benn will carry out the spin duties for the visitors.
Both Floyd Reifer and Wayne Blackman scored hundreds when Barbados beat Jamaica in Jamaica in their last KFC match while Smith adds fire power to an already formidable batting line up which includes Dale Richards, Hinds, Alcindo Holder, and Shamarah Brooks.
The Guyana team needs a win not only to qualify for the final four but to avenge the thrashing inflicted by the Bajans earlier this week.
