AFTER securing a comprehensive win over their opposition in the first of two 3-Day practice games, Guyana Jaguars captain Leon Johnson said batting for extended periods is the main criterion heading into the next game.
Johnson led a mixed team with a few of his regular teammates from the Jaguars setup who won the Regional 4-Day title for five consecutive years. Johnson’s men overcame a spirited performance from the Anthony Adams-led XI, who at one point had a 100-run plus lead over them.
Due to the experience of their marquee players like Anthony Bramble, who made a second-innings unbeaten half-century, spinner Devendra Bishoo who grabbed 4 wickets in the 1st innings and pacer Keon Joseph who bagged a 5-for in the second, Johnson had flashes of brilliance from some of his main weapons ahead of the 2020 Regional Day.
Johnson told Chronicle Sport yesterday, that he was highly impressed by the way his bowlers went about their business. He said that the intention to take wickets and keep the opposition at manageable totals was also crucial, as they will need to work on their tactics of restrictions and wicket-taking when the season commences.
“I think we had a decent performance with the ball because the guys haven’t played 3-Day in a while, so much credit to the bowlers. While we did well with the ball, our batting was still a bit rusty,” said Johnson.
Johnson, who has played 9 Test matches for the West Indies with a pair of half-centuries under his belt, has been a bit rusty himself with the bat, but acknowledged that batting for longer phases is key in a batsman’s progression to peak form.
With the second and final game set to bowl off tomorrow, the left-hander said it was crucial for all the batsmen including himself to place more emphasis on batting more responsibly as well as looking to rack up good minutes out in the middle.
“Going forward I want us to focus on batting for longer periods. In the first practice game the guys put their heads down in the 2nd innings, because losing wickets had set us back in the first innings. So right now it’s about playing longer innings while looking to improve in our batting and playing longer innings,” Johnson ended.
The Jaguars will be engaged in their final practice game from tomorrow, before preparing for the Regional 4-Day which bowls off Thursday, January 9. (Clifton Ross)
