National middle order batsman Narsingh Deonarine had said he was looking forward to some good performances not only with the bat but the ball as well since he aimed to regain his place in the West Indies side.

“As one of the senior players in the team, I have a clear view of what is expected of me and I am not feeling any pressure,” Deonarine  had said  prior to Guyana’s departure to Grenada in January for their first round clash against the Windward Islands in the 2009 West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional four-day tournament.

Deonarine certainly did not feel any pressure at all in the tournament, compiling 950 runs to date. Now he enters Guyana’s penultimate round clash against Jamaica today at the Sabina Park with his eyes set on becoming the first man to score 1,000 runs in a WICB first class tournament.

Only Combined Campuses and Colleges’ (CCC) player/coach Floyd Reifer who has amassed 902 and Leeward Islands’ Runako Morton, 851 are within touching distance of the target, something Deonarine had to reset for himself, after giving himself a revised target of 800 runs.

Leeward Islands’ Stuart Williams with 974 runs and Guyana’s Carl Hooper Jnr (954) are the lone batsmen to have scored more runs than Deonarine in a single domestic season, but the latter is poised to go one step further.

“At the start of the season, I was looking at 600 runs. But as the tournament progressed and I became more comfortable and confident with my batting, I reset the target to 800. But that too was achieved quickly, so the only thing left for me to do now is become the first batsman to score 1,000 runs in a regional domestic season.”

Deonarine had earlier stated to Stabroek Sport that his intentions were to once again wear the maroon cap of the West Indies team and with his present form he should be a certainty for the return tour of England later this month.

But while Deonarine has been consistent with the bat, scoring two centuries and five half centuries Guyana continues to struggle in the tournament languishing in the cellar position of the seven- team tournament.

They have lost five of their matches including four in a row during the first round of the tournament with their heaviest defeat coming in their game against Barbados.

Their batting was the centre of concern for then coach Albert Smith who was replaced by Rabindranauth Seeram for the first home game against Jamaica where they were able to salvage a draw before losing the next one to the Windward Islands, despite taking first innings points.

But apart from Deonarine, only Derwin Christian who scored his maiden first class ton against Jamaica in the first round at the National Stadium has scored a century for the Guyanese whose batting line up consists of players with the calibre of Sewnarine Chattergoon, Travis Dowlin, Leon Johnson, Assad Fudadin, Christopher Barnwell and Steven Jacobs.

Dowlin is next in line on the scoring sheet for Guyana, having rattled up 564 runs at an average of 33.17 with a highest score of 87, and like Chattergoon, Johnson, Royston Crandon and Barnwell, he failed to carry on after getting starts.

The bowling for the team from the Land of Many Waters rests on the small shoulders of spin twins Veerasammy Permaul and Devendra Bishoo, who are  the leading wicket takers for their country with 26 and 29 wickets respectively.

All-rounder Esaun Crandon has 18 wickets from seven matches but he was not used in the last game against Trinidad and Tobago as the selectors opted for the lively Brandon Bess who has nine wickets under his belt, with Barnwell who has two less than Bess sharing the new ball duties.

Jamaica will be led by skipper Tamar Lambert who will receive able support from Donovan Pagon, Brendan Nash, Wavell Hinds, Brenton Parchment, David Bernard Jnr and the in-form Carlton Baugh.

The bowling will be taken care of by discarded West Indies fast bowler Darren Powell and includes Bernard Jnr, Andrew Richardson, off spinner Odean Browne, Gavin Wallace and Nash.

However, the spotlight will be on one person in this match and that’s Guyana’s Narsingh Deonarine.

Team Guyana from: Travis Dowlin, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Christopher Barnwell, Leon Johnson, Narsingh Deonarine, Assad Fudadin, Royston Crandon, Steven Jacobs, Derwin Christian, Esaun Crandon, Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo and Brandon Bess.

Jamaica from: Tamar Lambert (captain), Donovan Pagon, Danza Hyatt, Brendan Nash, Wavell Hinds, David Bernard Jr, Carlton Baugh, Odean Brown, Bevon Brown, Gavin Wallace, Andrew Richardson, Horace Miller and Daren Powell.