By Anthony Foster, Freelance WriterIN A REPEAT of last year's championship showdown, defending champions Guyana and Jamaica will renew their rivalry, this time in the semi-finals of the inaugural Carib Beer International Shield at Bourda Oval in Guyana.
In the other semi-final game, which also starts today at 9:00 (Jamaica time), Carib Beer Series league champions Barbados are at home (Kensington Oval) to Trinidad and Tobago.
With the news that West Indies skipper Carl Hooper will be available to boost the Guyanese batting, the Robert Samuels-led guys should be aware of what happened the last time he played against them. Hooper made an unbeaten 149 in last year's final and was the main reason for Jamaica's downfall.
Upon his physiotherapist's recommendations, Hooper spent the past 2 1/2 weeks at his home in Australia on a rest and rehabilitation programme for his troublesome knees which were operated on late last year.
Despite the absence of Ramnaresh Sarwan, Hooper should expect useful contributions from Shivnarine Chanderpaul who scored a hundred in his last match, along with Andrew Percival, Travis Dowlin, Krishna Arjune and Azeemul Haniff (if fit), all of whom got runs against Jamaica in the preliminary round.
With Jamaica likely to play their three-pronged pace attack of Jermaine Lawson, who just returned after a thigh strain, Daren Powell and teenager Jerome Taylor, Jamaica could pocket at least first innings points which could be enough to decide who advances to next week's final.
The pacers will be backed up by allrounder David Bernard and off-spinner Gareth Breese, who has done well against Guyana over the years but should also remember the damage Hooper inflicted on him the last time they met.
Opener Brenton Parchment narrowly missed his maiden first-class century in Jamaica's fifth game against Guyana and, along with Leon Garrick, posted 135 for the first wicket.
However, with Wavell Hinds, Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels back from the last game against India A, Garrick and Parchment may be asked to play the roles of 12th man and emergency fieldsman respectively, that would mean Ryan Cunningham - who took five wickets against Guyana the last time at Bourda will be included.
In the last match between the two teams, playing without Reon King, who is also doubtful for this match, the Guyanese attack of Rayon Griffith and Naresh Roopnarine, along with Mahendra Nagamootoo, then skipper Neil McGarrell, Lennox Cush, Andrew Percival and Sewnarine Chattergoon suffered at the hands of the Jamaican batsmen.
