JAMAICA Scorpions will look to continue their climb up the regional four-day championship table when they take on Guyana Jaguars in the sixthround contest at Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium. Play is scheduled to start at 10:00 am today.

The Scorpions, on a two-game winning streak, are third in the six-team league standing with 57.4 points. Guyana Jaguars, the defending fivetime champions, have been far from their usual dominant self, but are second with 60.8 points.

Unlike in recent clashes when the Jaguars would have begun the match as clear favourites, both sides will start this encounter pretty much on even keel.

While the in-form Scorpions have slowly improved as the tournament has gone on, the Jaguars have hit a snag. They lost by seven runs to the Scorpions in the fourth-round match in Guyana and had to settle for a draw against Windward Islands Volcanoes in the fifth round.

The Scorpions followed up the rare win in Guyana with a riveting five-wicket win against Leewards Islands Hurricanes in Trelawny last time out.

Nikita Miller, the Scorpions assistant coach, said the confidence levels have been boosted by the recent results.

“As a team, when you’ve won games in the manner we have in the last two games then it breeds confidence. We’re gradually improving and we’re getting back that winning mentality and that winning feeling within the group,” said former spin bowler Miller.

Both teams have made changes to their squads for this match. For the Scorpions, pacer Derval Green has been sidelined with injury, while rookie off-spinner Peat Salmon, who starred in the previous match between the sides, has been suspended from bowling due to a suspect action.

Out-ofform Guyanese-born left-hander Assad Fudadin has been omitted. In steps all-rounder Alwyn Williams and left-arm wrist spinner Dennis Bulli, both after injury lay-offs; and seamer Gordon Bryan.

The Jaguars bring in Gudakesh Motie and Akshaya Persaud as replacements for Devendra Bishoo and Shimron Hetmyer.

In other sixth-round matches, the leaders Barbados Pride (84.2 points) entertain the fourth-placed Volcanoes (50) in Bridgetown, while the last-placed Hurricanes (32.6) take on fifth-placed Trinidad and Tobago Red Force (46.6) in Basseterre.

Teams: Scorpions — John Campbell (captain), Alwyn Williams, Jermaine Blackwood, Paul Palmer, Nkrumah Bonner, Denis Smith, Jamie Merchant, Dennis Bulli, Marquino Mindley, Nicholson Gordon, Patrick Harty, Gordon Bryan, Oraine Williams. Jaguars — Leon Johnson (captain), Christopher Barnwell, Anthony Bramble, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Chanderpaul Hemraj, Keon Joseph, Veerasammy Permaul, Akshaya Persaud, Raymon Reifer, Kevin Sinclair, Vishaul Singh, Nial Smith.

— Sanjay Myers