``The guys are confident,'' said a smiling captain James Adams yesterday morning. ``They are in good spirits and if they turn up for this match with the form which they displayed against the Leewards, we should come out on top.''
In defeating the Leeward Islands, Jamaica, third-place finishers last year, knocked off the co-defending champions and, barring an upset, they should also defeat the other co-defending champions over the next four days and put themselves in a splendid position to qualify for the top four and a place in the semi-finals of the new-look tournament.
In their bid to make it two from two, and following the disappointing performance of Brian Murphy, despite what must have been a strong temptation to replace the right-arm legspinner with a third pacer, the high-riding Jamaicans yesterday decided to go for Guyana with the same team which spanked the Leeward Islands.
An unchanged team means the home side will again parade six batsmen in Leon Garrick, Robert Samuels, Wavell Hinds, Adams, Tony Powell and Chris Gayle, wicketkeeper Shane Ford, two spin bowlers in offspinner Nehemiah Perry and Murphy, and two pacers in Laurie Williams and Dwight Mais.
Apart from the memory of Murphy's disappointing performance in the opening match, the selectors were probably tempted to include another pacer as the pitch on which the match will be contested is the Test match pitch and the expectation is that the ball will bounce higher and cut off the seam more than it did on the pitch next door which was used for last weekend's match.
If Murphy finds his length, however, the bounce could also be helpful to him - especially when he bowls the googly.
One of the reasons why Jamaica are favourites to win the match is that although they are still without top bowlers Courtney Walsh and Franklyn Rose, Guyana, who lost by an innings and 37 runs to Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday, are worse hit - even though West Indies opener Clayton Lambert who missed the opening match is in the line-up after returning from South Africa.
The visitors are still without batsmen Carl Hooper, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Keith Semple, fast bowler Reon King and left-arm spinner Neil McGarrell who are in South Africa for the one-day internationals and although their bowling attack, which should include fast bowlers Colin Stuart and Kevin Darlington, right-arm legspinner Mahendra Nagamootoo and offspinner Gavin Nedd, could present a problem for the Jamaican batsmen, their batting, which was brushed aside for 191 and 126 by T&T at Guaracara Park should not cause the Jamaican bowlers to lose much sleep.
Azeemul Haniff and Ramnaresh Sarwan are talented batsmen, but like Nicholas DeGroot, Travis Dowling, Andre Percival and Lennox Cush, they are to still to deliver.
Despite his performance in South Africa where he averaged 10.75 in four innings, the batsman who could inspire the youngsters and deny Jamaica is the left-handed Lambert.
Last year's score at Bourda: Jamaica 148 - Powell 41, and 318 for four declared - Hinds 55, Adams 108 not out, Powell 100 not out; Guyana 114 - V. Nagamootoo 40 and 335 for 6 - Lambert 64, deGroot 52, Chanderpaul 89, Hooper 62.
Teams:
Jamaica (likely twelve) - James Adams (captain), Leon Garrick, Robert Samuels, Wavell Hinds, Tony Powell, Chris Gayle, Laurie Williams, Nehemiah Perry, Brian Murphy, Shane Ford, Dwight Mais, Kirk Powell.
Guyana (thirteen) - Nicholas deGroot (captain), Azeemul Haniff, Lennox Cush, Clayton Lambert, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Travis Dowling, Vishal,Nagamootoo, Mahendra Nagamootoo, Andre Percival, Gavin Nedd, Kevin Darlington, Colin Stewart, Germaine Neblett.