Guyana Jaguars team got down to serious business with their first net session at the Guyana National Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.The team, under captain and West Indies batsman Leon Johnson, will play their first game of the inaugural West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Professional Cricket League Regional Four-day Franchise tournament against the Leeward Islands, beginning Friday at the Guyana National Stadium.

The tournament will be played on a home and away basis over 10 rounds from November 14, 2014 to March 23, 2015. Each team will play 10 matches, five at home and five away. The WICB Professional Cricket League comprises the Regional Four-day tournament and the NAGICO Super50 tournament, which will be played in January 2015.

Meanwhile, in an invited comment at the conclusion of the net session, Head Coach, Esaun Crandon, urged his players to opt for consistency and patience, adding that batsmen will need to graft for runs on pitches that are on the slower side and bowlers have to show patience on flat tracks. Crandon also disclosed that the watch word for his side will be “execution.”

The 32-year-old former Guyana fast bowler said in order for a winning start, they would need to stick to game plan and execute it clinically. “Once we stick to our game plans and execute them the way we should, then I am positive of a victory,” Crandon disclosed. “I think that we need a lot more consistency in terms of our batting and bowling this time around.”

It was argued that the Guyanese batsmen spent too little time at the crease and the lack of concentration also caused them their demise during the last Regional Four-day tournament. Further, Crandon said home turf advantage would play a crucial role.

“We will be looking to exploit the home conditions to our advantage, something which we have failed to do in the recent past. We have a pretty good balance for the first few matches- with at least five Test players available to us and with this new franchise system in place and a longer season ahead, the players are all eager to go,” Crandon said.

Guyana Jaguars will play their first three games at home against the Leeward Islands Franchise from November 14-17, the Windward Islands Volcanoes from November 21-24 and Barbados Franchise from November 28. All three matches will be played at the National Stadium, Providence.

Guyana full squad reads: Leon Johnson (Captain), Assad Fudadin (Vice-Captain), Rajendra Chandrika, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Raymond Reifer, Anthony Bramble (wk), Christopher Barnwell, Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo, Ronsford Beaton, Vishaul Singh and Trevon Griffith.

Leeward Islands full squad reads: Devon Thomas (Captain), Jahmar Hamilton (Vice-captain), Quinton Boatswain, Yannick Leonard, Jeremiah Louis, Anthony Martin, Orlando Peters, Austin Richards, Lyndell Richardson, Akeem Saunders, Jacques Taylor, Gavin Tonge and Kelbert Walters.

(Taken from Guyana Times, by Rajiv Bisnauth)