AMIDST the off-the-field drama that has been taking place, Guyana, under the leadership of dependable West Indies middle-order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, will face four-time defending champions Jamaica in the semifinal of the West Indies Cricket Board four-day tournament from today at Sabina Park, Jamaica. Guyana completed their six preliminary round matches with 39 points, having chalked up three victories against two losses and one draw, while the Jamaicans will be brimming with confidence, following their emphatic run in the preliminary round matches, which saw them defeat all their opponents for their 72 points.
Guyana are forced to face the Jamaicans without the services of former Guyana and West Indies skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan, but still have in their batting lineup the tournament’s leading run-scorer in Narsingh Deonarine (547), Assad Fudadin (538), along with Leon Johnson (309) and Chanderpaul with 219 runs.
Amicable batting support will come from Christopher Barnwell, Derwin Christian and the lesser known Chandrapaul Hemraj, who given his stability in the final round encounter against Trinidad and Tobago – a game in which Fudadin got his second first class ton – is expected to open the innings with the temperamental Trevon Griffith.
Cricket fans should also remember Brandon Bess’ last-wicket partnership with Chanderpaul against the Barbadians, in which he got his highest first class score of 33, which gave his team a massive 124 runs lead at the end of the third day of that encounter.
Deonarine has also been turning heads with the ball in Guyana’s final two preliminary round matches, on his way to picking up 16 wickets at an average of 17.75, with his best being 7 for 26 against Barbados, who were bowled out for a record low 58 runs, as the Guyanese claimed their third victory.
West Indies ‘A’ team skipper and vice-captain of the team, Veerasammy Permaul, is the leading wicket-taker for Guyana with 28 victims at an average of 21.78, including his best figures of 6 for 91 against the Windward Islands in the second round.
Like Deonarine, Bishoo, who watched his teammates decimate the Barbadians at Kensington Oval, also claimed 16 wickets from three matches at an average of 20.93, including a best of 5 for 115 against Jamaica.
Like Guyana, Jamaica will be missing the left-handed duo in the talismanic opener Christopher Gayle – IPL duties with Royal Challengers Bangalore –  and Brendan Nash.
When the two met in the preliminaries, Nash chalked up an unbeaten double-century (205) as Jamaica recorded an eight-wicket victory in the dying stages of the final day, even though Deonarine made 89 and Johnson 72 in Guyana’s 294 which was made in their first innings, with Permaul being at the helm.
Apart from Nash, David Bernard made a pivotal 63 while incisive bowling from Bernard, left-arm fast bowler Sheldon Cotterell and the lanky Odean Browne who took 6 for 100 in the team from the Land of Many Waters first innings, engineered Jamaica’s win.
Chanderpaul returned from Bangladesh to take over the captaincy for the final two games against Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago respectively and even chalked up an unbeaten 125 against the Island of the Flying Fish team, whose final round win over the Windward Islands sealed Guyana’s place in the semifinals.
Certainly, the Guyanese will be looking to continue their impressive showing in this year’s tournament, turn around their fourth round loss to the Jamaicans and qualify for the final of the tournament, where they will face the winner of the other semifinal between Barbados and T&T from April 7 to 10.
Guyana’s final 11 will be chosen from: Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Veerasammy Permaul, Trevon Griffith, Leon Johnson, Narsingh Deonarine, Assad Fudadin, Royston Crandon, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Derwin Christian, Christopher Barnwell, Devendra Bishoo, Ronsford Beaton and Brandon Bess.