Ahead of Friday’s Digicel Professional Cricket League (PCL) fourth round Day/Night encounter against the Barbados Pride, table-toppers and defending champions Guyana Jaguars will be resuming their training today at the Providence National Stadium ahead of their debut pink ball match at home.
Following their short break after the third round, Assistant Coach Rayon Griffith confirmed yesterday that the team will be getting back to work after their few days off. Today’s session will commence at 14:00hrs while the remaining two days, tomorrow and Thursday will focus on the team’s ability to perform well with the Pink Ball, under lights.
While the team has ended the first three rounds with 33.6 points, it has been up and down for the Jags who beat Jamaica in round one, then lost to the Leewards Hurricanes in round two for the first time in almost three decades before settling for a draw in round three’s rain-affected match against the Windward Volcanoes.
Guyana does, however, have a good track record at Providence over the Past few seasons and it is no secret that the next few days of training will be used to get their batters back in game mode while affording their bowlers some playing time with the pink ball.
The Guyanese spinners have been the chief tormentors at Providence against any team and it is expected that the champs will work extra hard over the next three days in ensuring they become even more familiar with the pink ball.
Griffith had told this newspaper recently that he was happy with how the team has been performing but he needed them to step on the gas, especially in the batting department. However, with left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul the leading bowling attack with 14 wickets to date and pacers Keon Joseph and Raymon Reifer in sublime form, it will be
important for Guyana to have their strike bowlers ready for their first pink ball game at home.
He also added that the training session will not be any different from the others but stressed that he wanted more from his players, especially with the final two rounds playing at home before the first half of the competition breaks for the Christmas/New Year season.
The Barbados Pride team will be without West Indies captain Jason Holder, all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite, left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn and fast bowler Miguel Cummins.
The team will, however, have the benefit of left-hander Jonathan Carter, wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich, batsman Shai Hope and off-spinning all-rounder Ashley Nurse.
Opener Kraigg Brathwaite has taken over the captaincy from all-rounder Kevin Stoute.
The Barbados Pride team is lying second on 33.4 points.
The Pride is one of just two unbeaten teams in the tournament along with Leeward Islands Hurricanes, who are third on 29.4 points.
Jamaica Scorpions are next on 28.6, Trinidad and Tobago Red Force sit fifth with 27 points while the Windward Islands Volcanoes are bottom of the table with 17.6 points.
