JCA Super League culminates today

The best of the available senior-level talent in the island have been making their case for national selection in the 2019 Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) Super League 50-over Championship. The competition, which started on September 14, ends today at the Trelawny Stadium. The Western Warriors will battle the Central Titans in a game which bowls off at 9:30 a.m. Both captains are confident of victory. Andrew Walker, who leads the Western Warriors, believes in the unity among his players.

“We support each other out in the field,” he said. “The batsmen are focused on posting totals that the bowlers can defend. On the other side of the coin, the bowlers challenge the opponents so that if we are chasing, our batsmen aren’t stressed.”

Western Warriors are a threat with the ball as Jamaica Scorpions player Dennis Bulli and Captain Andrew Walker have taken a combined 20 wickets in the competition (13 and 7, respectively); while Raewin Senior and Dennis Smith lead their batting prowess with both amassing 135 runs with an average of 45.

Central Titans captain Kenar Lewis credits his team’s success to their disciplined approach, “The Titans are in the final because of our discipline. Our bowlers deliver consistently good line and length, which is great, because we can trust each other when the field is set. We know what the reward will be when selectors are looking on. Our best is always on show and this weekend will be no different.”

Central Titans batsman Steven Taylor is among the top scorers in the competition. He has scored 220 runs at an average of 55 per innings, with his highest score, 141. Captain Lewis has also done well with the bat scoring 167 runs at an average of 33.4, with his highest score being 72. Odean Brown is their best bowler with nine wickets and picked up seven for 21 in his best performance.

JCA Chief Executive Officer Courtney Francis believes that the Super League structure is a better way forward, as the national team will comprise talent that can deliver at a high level over the course of a season or series of games.

Talent on display

“Our cricketing talent must always be on display for the people,” he said. “Our senior players should always be engaged in training and competitive matches. The JCA Super League is one such vehicle as it carries the players through to the end of October just before the start of the Regional Super-50 which starts on November 6.

“This tournament ensures that national selections are made based on players’ abilities to deliver the technical fundamentals as well as the tactical approach needed to perform consistently well over a season. We will need these skills to be sharp and ready to dominate regionally and versus international opponents.”

There are two formats played in the JCA Super League: the 50-over championship and the Two-Day championship. Six teams battle for trophies and an attractive purse of $300,000. In addition to the finalists, the remaining four teams are the Northern Panthers, Eastern Eagles, Combined Colleges and Campuses, and the Southern Seals.