ST JOHN’S, Antigua – There is a high level of anticipation surrounding the third and final round of bilateral matches in the West Indies Championship, with playoff spots still very much up for grabs.
This year’s format will see the team with the most points at the end of the bilateral series advance directly to the final from May 17–20, while the second and third-placed teams will face off in a playoff from May 10–13 for the remaining spot in the grand finale.
Reigning champions Guyana Harpy Eagles have signalled their intent early, securing two wins from their two matches to sit atop the standings with 43.2 points, ahead of Trinidad & Tobago Red Force on 37.
The Jamaica Scorpions are currently third with 29.6 points, just edging the Barbados Pride on 19.8, with the two sides set to clash in their decisive series finale at Sabina Park.
Captain of the Guyana Harpy Eagles Tevin Imlach is urging against complacency as his team seeks to solidify their position at the top when they square off with the Windward Islands Volcanoes at Coolidge Cricket Ground.
“We will assess what that pitch looks like and then we will come up with our gameplan and how we want to go about things. This is how we play our cricket by wanting to focus on one game at a time because all we can control is what is in the present.”
Trinidad & Tobago Red Force have made one change to their squad, with spinner Ricky Jaipaul coming in to replace the rested Jayden Seales for the third round. Their opponents, Leeward Islands Hurricanes, have also adjusted their lineup, bringing in Cameron Pennyfeather in place of Jeremiah Louis.
Captain Joshua Da Silva expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance, despite their previous match ending in a draw.
“The cricket we’ve been playing is fantastic, can’t really fault the boys for the effort that they have put in so far. Even though we will miss Jayden for the final match of the series, we have the depth in our squad to continue doing well.”
Da Silva said.
With a maximum of 26 points available from a game, including bonus points, the Leeward Islands Hurricanes can reach as high as 36.8 points, while the Windward Islands Volcanoes can climb to a possible 33.6.
While both teams remain mathematically in contention, their chances of securing a playoff spot are slim, particularly with the Jamaica Scorpions and Barbados Pride facing each other, ensuring at least one direct competitor will gain crucial ground.
Ahead of the matchup, the Jamaica Scorpions have made two changes to their squad from the previous round, with Brandon King and Alex Hinds coming in to replace Ojay Shields and Jeavor Royal.
Head coach Robert Haynes remains confident in the team’s preparation and planning as they look to secure another victory against their rivals at Sabina Park.
“We must improve on the catching because we dropped a few that cost us, maybe if we took those Barbados would’ve made no more than 400 or 300 runs, which would make for a more competitive better game”,
Haynes shared.
“We are looking at the fast-bowling department in terms of the new ball and having more penetration to put the opposition on backfoot.”
Meanwhile the Pride’s head coach Vasbert Drakes believes his players are improving with each round and the third round could be the turning point for the squad.
“We want to continue playing decent cricket because from a batting perspective we are heading in the right trajectory and getting the scores where we can control Jamaica’s bowling. However, in the bowling department we need to find ways of nullifying their opening partnership which has been a major impact on their team.”
Following the opening rounds of matches, Kevin Wickham leads the run charts with 366 runs, while John Campbell (298) and Kirk McKenzie (290) round out the top three.
In the bowling department, Gudakesh Motie leads the pack with 16 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls. He is followed by Jayden Seales with 13 wickets and Peat Salmon with 10.
All the matches bowl off at 10am local time.
West Indies Championship Second Round:
Leeward Islands Hurricanes vs Trinidad & Tobago Red Force @ Antigua Recreation Ground.
Jamaica Scorpions vs Barbados Pride @ Sabina Park
Windward Islands Volcanoes vs Guyana Harpy Eagles @ Coolidge Cricket Ground
