GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – Hosts Guyana and Jamaica will face-off in the key clash in the second round of the WICB Regional Under-19 Championship, starting today at Bourda Oval.
A keen contest is expected between the two sides, following their opening round victories, which pushed them to the top of the ladder, along with Barbados on 12 points.
In the first round, the Guyanese beat the Leewards by an innings and 25 runs at the Guyana National Stadium, and the Jamaicans crushed T&T by 10 wickets at Everest.
Batting appears to be the strength of both sides, following big first innings totals for both teams in the first round, but the match could ultimately be decided by which side’s bowling is stronger.
Reigning champions Windward Islands will look to rebound from defeat, when they meet another vanquished foe Trinidad & Tobago at the Guyana National Stadium.
Batting was the bugbear for both sides in the first round, when the Windwards fell to a 94-run defeat against the Barbadians, with their batting never showing any solidity.
T&T suffered a batting meltdown in the first against the Jamaicans, but recovered well in the second innings – but it was all in vain.
Barbados will be returning to the Demerara Cricket Club – the venue for their first round victory – to play the Leewards.
The Barbadians will be hoping the venue brings them good fortune again, and that they can continue their strong start to the competition. Leewards will have to perform much, much better than they did, after their coach Winston Benjamin, the former West Indies fast bowler, lamented their indiscipline, which led to scores of less than 200 in both innings.
