Saints, JDF in top showdown
published:
Saturday | April 5, 2008
Leaders St Catherine Saints will battle another week without their overseas pro while Trelawny Buccaneers have strengthened their squad with the addition of Kurt Wilkinson, as the Jamaica Super League, Semi-Final Pro league continues this weekend.
Leaders on seven points, the Saints will, for the second straight week, be without Barbadian Dwayne Smith - who played 10 Test matches for the West Indies - when they entertain the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) at Chedwin Park. Smith, who is nursing an injury will, however, fly into the island, on Tuesday.
The JDF Brigades will also do without their overseas pro, Ryan Hinds, who got injured in West Indies' first Test match against Sri Lanka.
However, the Buccaneers, joint fourth in the standings on four points with St Elizabeth Shakes, have added another Barbadian, Wilkinson, to their team.
Wilkinson, who played 40 first class matches, will join Floyd Reifer, who played in the opening round.
two overseas pros
The Buccaneers will be the only team with two overseas pros, but league director, Oniel Cruikshank, said the Jamaica Super League (JSL) is only responsible for one.
"We at the JSL provide one pro for each team. A team can have up to three overseas pros, but it's at the expense of the clubs," he added.
Manchester, who lost Suleiman Benn to the West Indies team, will welcome Runako Morton, who has played 13 Test matches.
Windward Islands' batsman Andre Fletcher will return to Westmoreland Wizards and Barbados' fast bowler Jason Bennett will resume duties in his Kingston Tigers colours.
Meanwhile, in today's feature match, based on the points standing, joint second place Melbourne (six points) tackle Trelawny Buccaneers at Melbourne Oval.
tough to beat
Carlton Baugh Jr, who scored 122 off just 108 deliveries and Yannick Elliott, who notched an even 100 off just 58 balls against Westmoreland Wizards, will again carry the fight against another western Jamaica team, this time Trelawny Buccaneers.
Donovan Pagan, Damion Henry, Damion Jacobs and André McCarthy were also among the runs last week as Melbourne scored 388 all out in their first innings and were 135 without loss in the second.
However, with Reifer, a well-established batsman at the regional level who also played four Test matches for the West Indies, along with Wilkinson, they should be tough to beat.
