The fifth Jamaica Scorpions trial match to help pick the squad for the Professional Cricket League (PCL) will start today at Sabina Park.
The three-day match is scheduled to end on Friday.
Last week, the two-day drawn encounter was played at Kensington Park after the four-day match at Sabina Park the week before was abandoned on the morning of day two because the pitch was declared dangerous for batsmen.
But head coach Junior Bennett said he does not expect a recurrence of that incident, which he put down to lack of pitch preparation.
“We’re confident that adequate preparation has been made and batmen should not have the difficulties they had last time around,” he told the Jamaica Observer.
The batting surface used during the abandoned game saw the faster bowlers, in particular, getting awkwardly steep bounce from deliveries pitched full or on a good length. A number of batsmen were painfully hit on the finger, hand and helmet while batting.
Bennett said he has been generally satisfied with the displays seen throughout the matches so far.
“I think things have gone well, and this is another opportunity for players to get good performances behind their names so they can try to get into the final squad,”A he said.
Left-handed opener John Campbell has been most consistent, notching a handful of half-centuries without reaching triple figures. Another top-order left-handed batsman Paul Palmer and middle-order batsman Brandon King have both hit centuries.
Left-arm finger spinners Nikita Miller and Coi Thompson along with wrist spinner Damion Jacobs and seamers Marquino Mindley, Nicholson Gordon and left-armer Gavon Brown have been among the wickets.
Meanwhile, the selection panel has made changes to the group of players who participated in the previous trial match.
Batsmen Cassius Burton, Alwayne Williams and Kerry Holness, as well as wicketkeeper Aldaine Thomas and left-arm spinner Patrick Harty are set to feature.
Out goes the wicketkeeper/batsman pair of Kemar Marshall and Horace Miller, as well as batsman Joseph Palmer.
Pacers Christopher Powell and Reynard Leveridge have been sidelined due to injury.
Bennett said it was always the intention of the selectors to introduce other players to the trials set-up.
“From before the trial matches started the plan was to revisit the list and to look at performances of the players and see other players in action,” he said, while adding that the players omitted for this game are not necessarily ruled out of contention for the Jamaica Scorpions.
Next week’s scheduled four-day encounter is to be the last of six trial matches ahead of the tournament. The second edition of the PCL is set to begin November 6.
