Jamaica seek to extend lead

PHILLIPSBURG: Strengthened by the inclusion of three West Indies players, unbeaten leaders Jamaica will look to extend their winning streak against mid-table Leeward Islands when both teams meet for the second time in their sixth-round Carib Beer Series regional cricket match at the Carib Lumber Ground in St Maarten today. Batsmen, captain Wavell Hinds, Marlon Samuels and Xavier Marshall were included in the Jamaican squad after representing the Windies in the VB Series in Australia recently.

Opener Chris Gayle, who like the trio was part of the VB Series squad, will miss the match with a shoulder injury and will be unavailable to play for Jamaica for the next three weeks. The inclusion of Hinds, Samuels and Marshall will buttress an already strong batting line-up, which includes Tamar Lambert, who led the team in the first five matches while the Windies players were Down Under. He is also the top run-getter so far this season with 359 runs. In-form batsman, Brenton Parchment will also be a boost to the squad that also includes pacer Jerome Taylor, who missed the last two matches because of a side strain but passed Tuesday’s fitness test under the supervision of Jamaica’s physical trainer David Bernard, Sr.

Taylor, who has taken 13 wickets to date, will strengthen a pace attack comprising ex-Windies pacer Darren Powell who has so far taken 23 scalps, and the emerging Dwight Washington. Spinner Nikita Miller, who has 22 wickets to his name, will complement the fast bowlers. The Leewards, who suffered a 176-run loss to the Jamaicans in the first round, will be seeking revenge on their turf but they will be without their leading wicket-taker, fast bowler Adam Sanford, who has a groin injury. Sanford’s place is taken by uncapped leg-spinner Brian Stephanie a Guyanese-born player who plays for Montserrat in the Leewards tournament.

The Leewards might be low on confidence after they were beaten by six wickets by the Windward Islands in their last match. The home team’s selectors will ponder between including Stephanie or rookie pacer Lionel Baker of Montserrat, a former West Indies Under-19 player, who has been waiting in the wings since the first match. The decision might come to the state of the pitch, which is hard and should give the pacers and spinners some bounce.

Despite the absence of Sanford, who has taken 23 wickets so far, the Leewards’ attack will consist of the experienced Kerry Jeremy, Carl Simon and Wilden Cornwall – all seamers – and off-spinner Omari Banks, the Windies player. Captain Sylvester Joseph will be looking for an improved performance from their batsmen after they get 300 in both innings against the Leewards. Apart from the experienced Stuart Williams and Ridley Jacobs, none of the Leewards batsmen have scored centuries this season. The weather has been good over the last few days.

TEAMS
JAMAICA – Wavell Hinds (captain), Marlon Samuels, Xavier Marshall, Tamar Lambert, Donovan Pagon, David Bernard, Brenton Parchment, Nikita Miller, Daren Powell, Carlton Baugh, Dwight Washington, Odean Brown and Jerome Taylor.
LEEWARDS – Sylvester Joseph, captain, Tonito Willett, Shane Jeffers, Runako Morton, Stuart Williams, Wilden Cornwall, Ridley Jacobs, Omari Banks, Carl Simon, Brian Stephanie, Kerry Jeremy, Lion Baker, Ian Tittle.