GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — Guyana Jaguars Head Coach Esuan Crandon has blasted his side’s batting during the first-class championship as “really poor”, and said it was the reason behind their current third place in the standings.

Bemoaning the fact Jaguars had managed just two centuries for the season, Crandon told Guyana Times there had not been enough commitment on the part of batsmen to converting starts into big scores.

“I am disappointed with the return by our batters, most are senior guys. To only score two centuries as a team is really poor,” Crandon argued.

“As a champion team, you capitalise on those opportunities and for some reason, we did not do it this season. It’s a reflection of where we are on the table, we didn’t play the style of cricket we should have played.”

Captain Leon Johnson (189) and all-rounder Chris Barnwell (107) have been the two century-makers, both knocks coming in the drawn fifth-round match against Windward Islands Volcanoes in Grenada.

The left-handed Johnson, with 472 runs, and Barnwell, 435, are also the only two players with more than 400 runs for the season.

Jaguars were tied for third with Jamaica Scorpions on 91.8 points, when the first-class championship was suspended last week after the eighth round, following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in the Caribbean.

It is the first time since the inception of the professional era of the championship that Jaguars have found themselves so lowly placed, having won the last five titles up for grabs.

They have already lost three matches while winning three and drawing two, and Crandon said a combination of ineffective bowling and loose fielding had also contributed to their form.

“Our bowlers were able to take 20 wickets on most occasions, but it is evident that we missed some of the guys who performed well over the years,” he lamented, pointing to the absence of the likes of West Indies seamers Romario Shepherd and Keemo Paul, along with nippy pacer Clinton Pestano.

“[Fast bowler Keon Joseph] looked like himself, but he was unlucky not to get more wickets.”

He added: “We put down some vital catches, [and] we were not able to win some key moments in the game and capitalise.”

Barbados Pride are poised to win the tournament, sitting on top the standings on 134.8 points with Trinidad and Tobago Red Force second on 94.6.