By Akeem Greene
The West Indies Four-Day Championship 2024 bowls off on Wednesday (February 7) and one of the first-round matches will be rivals Guyana Harpy Eagles against Trinidad and Tobago Red Force at the Conaree Cricket Centre in St. Kitts.
Their meetings since the Professional Cricket League commenced in November 2014 have lacked the intense rivalry of yesteryear, with the Harpy Eagles having a dominant record of 10 wins, one defeat and two drawn encounters.
Ahead of their 14th meeting, the first on neutral ground since the PCL started, both sides will start afresh with big stakes for the top performers this season.
On recent history, the Harpy Eagles have soared over Red Force. Since November 2014, the lone defeat for the Harpy Eagles came in the 2018-19 season when Red Force won by 93 runs at Queen’s Park Oval.
Overall, the Harpy Eagles have won six titles in eight seasons, while the highest the Red Force have placed is second when the season was curtailed to eight rounds in 2022 due to COVID-19.
While the championship has not returned to the initial 10 rounds, it has increased from five to seven in the post-COVID-19 era due to the return of the Combined Campuses and Colleagues and the introduction of the West Indies Academy.
Depth and experience vs transition
On paper, Red Force have experience and depth in their squad with all 13 players having already played First-Class cricket.
The Harpy Eagles, on the other hand, are missing several key personnel and that has opened the door for five uncapped players in the squad.
Outside of vastly experienced Veerasammy Permaul (137 matches), Tagenarine Chanderpaul (71 matches) and Ronsford Beaton (37 matches), no other Harpy Eagles player in the squad has more than 30 matches, with Kevin Sinclair being next with 22.
Leon Johnson, who led the franchise to six titles, will no longer be at the helm for the first time, the selectors entrusting young batsman Kevlon Anderson with the huge task of captaincy.
It is a tremendous undertaking for Anderson, who has just seven First-Class matches to his credit, while his deputy Matthew Nandu has played eight.
Possible XI
Based on feedback, the pitch is a bit on the slower side. Still, with fast-bowling points a crucial element in the deciding the title over the years, Neiland Cadogan should debut along with all-rounder Ronaldo Alimohamed, who will partner Ronsford Beaton.
With regards the spin department, Permaul and Sinclair certainly will lead that charge, but it’s a potential toss-up between left-arm spinner Antony Adams and uncapped leg-spinner Steven Sankar.
Adams, a consistent force on the domestic circuit, has missed out on selection more often than not in the past due to the presence of Gudakesh Motie.
In the absence of Motie, Adams must feel he can add to his two First-Class matches, but it is left to be seen whether the Harpy Eagles will make a tactical move and play Sankar.
Kemol Savory will take up wicketkeeping duties, with the in-form newbie Raymond Perez set to bat in the middle, with Chanderpaul and Nandu to open.
Ideally, it would be good to see Sinclair bat at six, a promotion that will give him the opportunity to get that maiden First-Class ton. He has nine half-centuries in 38 innings, the last of which came in his debut Test innings against Australia recently.
Anderson should retain his preferred spot at four and Savory at five.
Unless it is a lively green top, it would be ideal to have a bat first and then unleash a decent bowling attack on a competent Red Force batting group led by Joshua DaSilva, the experienced Jason Mohammed, and the talented Tion Webster and Jyd Goolie.
Match time is 10:00h.
