By Delvon McEwan
Although the Guyana Jaguars charged to victory in the first two matches in the inaugural season of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Professional Cricket League (PCL) Regional Four-day challenge, the team’s prospects have dimmed with the replacement of crucial players, as they prepare to face off against the Barbados Pride.
Excluding the Barbadian-born and former Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) player Raymond Reifer, the 11 players who entered the field in the Jaguars’ initial games remained regular members of the national side in recent years. The team’s success came as a result of the exploits of their two most senior batsmen, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Narsingh Deonarine who together accumulated 434 runs; and the lethal bowling force of duo Veerasammy Permaul and Davendra Bishoo who combined to capture 25 of the 40 wickets.
Those performances guided Guyana to victories over the Leeward Franchise in their first game and the Windward Volcanoes in the other. The Jaguars disposed of the former by an innings and 10 runs while the Volcanoes suffered a 92-run defeat. The wins also equal Guyana’s record with the Leewards after 36 matches which now stands at 10 wins and losses,