Richardson wants Scorpions’ ‘complete game’ vs Harpy Eagles
Jamaica Scorpions will look to claim only their third win this season when they take on title holders Guyana Harpy Eagles in the sixth-round regional first-class cricket match at Sabina Park.
The first ball is scheduled to be bowled at 10 am.
The Scorpions have endured a stuttering campaign, winning two of five matches and losing the other three. They are fifth in the eight-team table with 53.4 points.
The Harpy Eagles, who are fourth with 66.8 points, have won three matches, lost one and drawn the other.
Scorpions Head Coach Andrew Richardson said that while he is wary of their threat, he believe his players can stun the visitors if they put together a complete performance.
“The structure of [the Harpy Eagles] team is that the depth of the batting probably goes as far as number eight or nine. They have posted very good totals in this campaign and…they have only lost 20 wickets once thus far,” Richardson said on the eve of the encounter.
“They are the defending champions…[but] we haven’t played our best cricket as yet, we haven’t put together a complete game or even 90 per cent of a complete game. If we do that we will come out on top,” the Scorpions coach added.
The Scorpions have made three changes to the team that lost to Leeward Islands Hurricanes last time out in March.
The 32-year-old batsman Jermaine Blackwood, a former West Indies Test vice-captain, has been dropped after a run of low scores this season. Batsman Leroy Lugg, 27, and left-arm finger spinner Jeavor Royal, 25, are also left out.
They are replaced by teenage batsman Justin Beckford, left-hander Javaughn Buchanan, 30, and pace-bowling all-rounder Andre McCarthy, 23.
For the Harpy Eagles, fast bowler Sylus Tyndall, a former Guyana Under-19 player, is in for injured 20-year-old batsman Matthew Nandu.
After five rounds of matches, the Hurricanes (81.2 points) are top of the league, followed by Windward Islands Volcanoes (71.6), Barbados Pride (67.4), Trinidad & Tobago Red Force (51), West Indies Academy (49.8), and Combined Campuses and Colleges (24.2)
Squads: Scorpions — Brandon King (captain), Marquino Mindley (vice-captain), Carlos Brown, Kirk McKenzie, Romaine Morris, Abhijai Mansingh, Peat Salmon, Derval Green, Ojay Shields, Ramaal Lewis, Justin Beckford, Andre McCarthy, Javaughn Buchanan.
Harpy Eagles — Tevin Imlach (captain), Kevlon Anderson (vice-captain), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Sylus Tyndall, Raymond Perez, Kemol Savory, Kevin Sinclair, Ronaldo Alimohamed, Gudakesh Motie, Veerasammy Permaul, Isai Thorne, Nial Smith, Akshaya Persaud.