Limited-overs finalists clash in Series opener

The two teams, under first-time captains, however, are without several key players who competed in a tense KFC Cup final in which Guyana prevailed over Barbados on October 16.

Guyana, under the captaincy of discarded West Indies fast bowler Reon King, will have a big void to fill in the absence of skipper Shivnarine Chanderpaul and vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan.

The hosts have been dealt a further setback with the unavailability of opening batsman Sewnarine Chattergoon.

The left-hander, who won the MVP award in the KFC Cup for a match-winning century in the final and a half-century in the semi-final, has been sidelined by an inury that will keep him out of action for about two weeks.

Chattergoon’s place in the squad has been taken by Ryan Ramdass, who scored a century against Barbados at Kensington Oval last season.

In the absence of Chanderpaul and Sarwan, Guyana still have several experienced players, including former captains Neil McGarrell and Mahendra Nagamootoo, while middle-order batsman Andre Percival has been recalled after a few seasons in the wilderness. Guyana had their final practice session at Bourda yesterday morning when Barbados went through the last paces at the nearby Demerara Cricket Club.

With the sudden retirement of Courtney Browne and the axing of Sherwin Campbell, Barbados are under new leadership with Ryan Hinds as captain and Ian Bradshaw as his deputy. Apart from Browne and the injured Pedro Collins, they are also missing four players— Dwayne Smith, Corey Collymore, Fidel Edwards and Tino Best— on duty with the West Indies team in Australia.

The line-up is still more than a capable unit, featuring a combination of experience and young talent that will be keen to erase the disappointment of last season when Barbados finished bottom-of-the-table.

The teams (from):

GUYANA — Reon King (captain), Krishna Arjune, Ryan Ramdass, Travis Dowlin, Narsingh Deonarine, Andre Percival, Steven Jacobs, Derwin Christian, Imran Jafferally, Esaun Crandon, Assad Fudadin, Mahendra Nagamootoo, Neil McGarrell.

BARBADOS — Ryan Hinds (captain), Dale Richards, Wayne Blackman, Kurt Wilkinson, Floyd Reifer, Alcindo Holder, Patrick Browne, Ian Bradshaw, Sulieman Benn, Ryan Austin, Ryan Nurse, Jason Bennett, Antonio Thomas.

UMPIRES: Colin Alfred, Billy Doctrove.