JAMAICA STAMPS AUTHORITY ON REGIONAL FOUR-DAY COMPETITION

Jamaica this week completed an eight-wicket win over Guyana for their fourth straight win in the Regional Four-Day Cricket Competition currently underway. Jamaica, like several other countries, has playing without several ‘star’ players Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor, Andre Russell and since the first match against the Windward Islands, Chris Gayle.

Despite the absence of these players Jamaica, helped by steady if not spectacular batting and consistency from its bowlers have defeated all who have come before them. So far in this competition Jamaica has put together scores of 180 and 298 against the Windward Islands, 287 and 162 against Barbados, 404 for 8 against the Leeward Islands and 454 for 9 and 30 for 2 against Guyana. Overall, the Jamaican batsmen produced two decent scores in the first two matches against the Windwards and Barbados and two very good scores against the Leewards and Guyana. What has also been key is most of the batsmen have contributed. Tamar Lambert has three half centuries so far, David Bernard Jr, a very good hundred and a half century in the last match against Guyana, Gayle, an explosive 165 against the Leewards and last but by no means least, an unbeaten double century from Brendan Nash.We have also seen from the Jamaicans, effort to build partnerships recognizing that this was the best option Jamaica has of posting strong scores.

So far, too, the bowling has been stellar. There have been three five-wicket hauls from Nikita Miller (25 wickets so far), two from Odean Brown (20 wickets so far) and good supporting efforts from Sheldon Cotterrell and Andrew Richardson. Together this bowling attack seems to be too much for any batting line up Jamaica’s Caribbean opponents can muster.

But while the effort so far has been good, there are several areas that need improvement. The batting still needs more work. There is need for even greater focus on building bigger partnerships. Against a strong Trinidad team that is being led by Denesh Ramdin, who is desperate to return to the West Indies team, Jamaica will face its sternest test yet. Trinidad is blessed with a lot of thinking players and they have a very good bowling attack and some of the best batsmen in the region. However, having said all that Jamaica –  if the players continue to show improvement and approach the remaining games with the same mindset to win at all costs – could run the table and win a fifth straight title.

However, Captain David Bernard Jr. needs to be wary of complacency. Nash is hungry. He wants to bat his way back into the West Indies line up and former captain Tamar Lambert will lend his impressive skills as a leader to the team. It is the other players that Bernard Jr needs to keep the fire under. He has to let them know that the job is not yet done. He has to convince them that now is the time to go for the jugular. Carlton Baugh, for example, has to be made aware that Ramdin is coming for his job as West Indies wicket keeper. He has to be made aware that he needs to score heavily for the remainder of this competition if he is to keep a firm grip on his place in the West Indies team.

Not only should Jamaica, champions for the past four seasons, aim to decimate Trinidad and the Combined Colleges and Campuses, they need to stamp their class in the semi-finals and finals to take home that record-breaking fifth straight title. They will do that if they continue to work on the little things in each game that will assure them wins; things like their fielding, batting to specific plans per session and continuing to bowl well as well as creative captaincy.

They have the tools, it’s now just a matter of finding out what way to use them most effectively.