IT won’t exactly be a case of David vs Goliath but Links United will enter the Social Development Commission (SDC) Community Twenty20 cricket final against defending champions Fairfield United on Sunday as clear underdogs.

The match, scheduled to begin 2:00 pm at Chedwin Park in St Catherine, will be preceded by an exhibition curtain-raiser between two masters teams.

The Alexandria, St Ann-based Links United, owned by Bass Odyssey — the iconic Jamaican sound system — have lost only one match this season, to Port Antonio United of Portland.

Fairfield, situated in Manchester, lifted the 2023 SDC T20 title after defeating five-time winners Junction/Ballard’s Valley of St Elizabeth in the final at Port Rhoades Sports Club in St Ann.

Stephen Miller, the Links United manager, expressed confidence they can topple Fairfield.

“I think we are the underdogs [because] they are the defending champions with a lot of national players. But, I believe it’s going to be a good, entertaining game and my boys are ready to take home St Ann’s first SDC crown,” he told the Jamaica Observer on Friday.

He said he expects the batting to bear the brunt of the load, but insisted that once the bowlers get it right, Links United will be hard to beat.

“Our batting has been our strength so far. We have [national player] Tevin Gilzene — who has scored a century so far this season — and we also have Marlon Johnson, Damion Bryce, Renaldo Ingram and Deethmar Anderson.

“So I think if we bowl properly, cut down on conceding extras, and take our catches, I believe whatever total they put up we can either get it or defend whatever we make,” Miller opined.

Leighton Leslie, the Fairfield United player/manager, noted that his team showed resilience to bounce back from a rocky start to the season.

He expects that grit and experience to come to the fore on Sunday.

“I think we are a very good all-round team with both bat and ball. Our fielding has let us down at times but it’s a work in progress and it has been getting better,” he told the Observer.

“We almost didn’t qualify to the final eight of the competition and really had to fight because we lost a couple matches early in the [season]. It wasn’t a smooth ride so I feel we have already played our bad matches,” he added.

Leslie said the bowlers, including national player Gordon Bryan and fellow pacer Richard Thomas, as well as he and Oshane Walters have been among solid performers with ball and bat.

The Fairfield player/manager played down the favourites’ tag, while noting the quality of their opponents.

“Being back as the defending champions, I wouldn’t say we are favourites [because] this Links team is very good and they have a lot of people who play at the parish level and also who are in the national set-up.

“But, we have players who have won the title already and have experience. We need to bowl disiciplined — because I think they are highly dependent on their batting,” he said.

— Sanjay Myers

Stephen Miller