Following a week of fitness tests, gym sessions and batting and bowling simulation exercises, Cricket Guyana Inc. (CGI) will today bowl of the first of two four-day practice matches between a Leon Johnson led XI and a Vishaul Singh XI at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground, Bourda.
The matches which forms part of the team’s preparations ahead of the 2014/15 West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional season which commences next month is aimed at further readying the players for the forthcoming tournament after the underwent physical sessions last week.
The two 15-member teams, one led by Johnson West Indies newest Test player along with vice-captain the legendary Shivnarine Chanderpaul
make up a batting-heavy side which features the likes of Trevon Griffith, Rajendra Chandrika, Narsingh Deonarine, Chris Barnwell, Anthony Bramble, Robin Bacchus, Chandarpaul Hemraj and Johnathan Foo.
The bowling department will depend on two of the country’s foremost experienced seamers in Paul Wintz and Keon Joseph while left-arm spinners Veerasammy Permaul and Gudakesh Motie-Kanahi will seek to provide a bit of variety.
Team 2, led by the compact left-hander Singh, who will have all-rounder Steven Jacobs as his deputy, features a bit of aggression and stability in the batting department with the likes of Shimron Hetmyer, Kemo Paul, Ricardo Adams and Kevon Boodie, the players who are known to come out with guns blazing.
The skipper along with openers Kandasammy Surujnarine and Tagenarine Chanderpaul, middle-order batters such as Royston Crandon, Jason Sinclair, and Jacobs himself can knuckle down and frustrate bowlers if required.
Their bowling attack will be spearheaded by the six-foot tall pacer Raun Johnson with Paul operating as the other seamer while in-form off-spinner Anthony Adams, left-arm orthodox Raj Nannan, leg-spinner Amir Khan, off-spinners Jacobs and Crandon constitute a varied bowling unit.
With good results from the beep test which was done on the first day of encampment last Monday along with a series of sessions in the gym and in the nets throughout the week, the Chief Selector Rayon Griffith and Head Coach Esaun Crandon have both stated over the past week how pleased they are that the players have shown hunger and more responsibility heading into this season.
While results from the various sessions conducted under the watchful eyes of experienced coaches and fitness instructors have surpassed that of last season, both Griffith and Crandon are with one thought that the team as well as the players are moving in the right direction while being optimistic that more progress is still to come.
The match is expected to bowl off at 9:30hrs and admission is free.
The two teams are as follows:
Team 1- Leon Johnson, Trevon Griffith, Rajendra Chandrika, Narsingh Deonarine, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Christopher Barnwell, Anthony Bramble, (wicketkeeper) Veerasammy Permaul, Gudakesh Motie-Kanhai, Paul Wintz, Keon Joseph, Kemol Savory (wicketkeeper), Jonathan Foo, Robin Bacchus and Chanderpaul Hemraj
Team 2- Vishaul Singh, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Shimron Hetemyer, Kandasammy Surujnarine, Royston Crandon, Ricardo Adams, Steven Jacobs (vice-captain), Kemo Paul, Amir Khan, Anthony Adams, Raun Johnson, Jeremey Gordon, Jason Sinclair (wicketkeeper), Kevon Boodie (wicketkeeper) and Raj Nannan.
