Jamaican Andre Coley, the Windward Islands Volcanoes head coach, says he does not believe his familiarity with Sabina Park provides an edge as his team faces Jamaica Scorpions in Thursday’s start of the fifth round of the regional four-day tournament.

“In theory it should help, but I don’t know that it will necessarily give me an edge, because the conditions aren’t foreign to players from either team,” Coley told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

Neither does Coley, the former wicketkeeper/batsman who played seven matches for Jamaica between 1995 and 1998, have any qualms about going up against the Scorpions.

“I don’t feel any way in particular [facing the Jamaica franchise]. The way the cricket is now, players are mixing with players from other islands; it’s a global game, and I’m thrilled at the opportunity to coach the Volcanoes. Being head coach of a regional team is something I’ve always wanted to do,” the 43-year-old added.

Both teams have struggled in recent four-day campaigns. The Volcanoes, who have 18.4 points so far this season, are last in the six-franchise standing, while the Scorpions are fifth with 36.6 points.

Two-time defending champions Guyana Jaguars, who have won three of their four games, lead with 64.8 points ahead of second-placed Leeward Islands Hurricanes (44.6), third-placed Barbados Pride (42.4), and fourth-placed Trinidad and Tobago Red Force (41.8).

Coley, the West Indies assistant coach for three years until he stepped down last year, says this game against fellow strugglers offers the opportunity to steady the ship.

“It’s an opportunity to get points on the board, and we are bottom of the table. I know we can do better, we’ve had significant performances individually, but we want to play as a team, and translate those performances into team results,” he explained.

The Volcanoes coach noted that team chemistry remains a work in progress as training time was lacking due to the severe hurricane activity, particularly in the eastern Caribbean.

He said key players have also been missing due to illness or injury.

“We are still trying to gel… with all the hurricanes we lost time and there have been significant injuries. The last game we had guys out through food poisoning and [batsman] Kirk Edwards is out due to calf injury, so we’ve had our share of players missing out,” Coley, the former West Indies Under-19 coach, told the Observer.

The Volcanoes’ 13-man squad, which arrived in Jamaica yesterday, comprises some less inexperienced players, such as Denis Smith, the nephew of sidelined West Indies opening batsman Devon Smith.

But there are also some regional cricket household names like the senior Smith, opener Tyrone Theophile and off-spinner Shane Shillingford.

The Scorpions are expected to name their final 13 Wednesday morning with all-rounder Fabian Allen likely to return from a leg injury. Allen, who also bowls left-arm finger spin, scored an unbeaten 169 against the Red Force in the second round, but since missed games against the Pride and the Hurricanes due to the injury.

Volcanoes squad: Tyrone Theophile (capt), Shane Shillingford, Devon Smith, Roland Cato, Delorn Johnson, Sherman Lewis, Kyle Mayers, Audy Alexander, Tarryck Gabriel, Denis Smith (wicketkeeper), Kenneth Dember, Miles Bascombe, Donwell Hector.