KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) – Co-leaders Jamaica are set to face their first real test of the Carib Beer Series, when they face struggling Guyana today at Sabina Park.

Jamaica have a maximum of 24 points and are co-leaders with Barbados at the top of the table.

They collected wins over Leeward Islands and Combined Campuses & Colleges at Sabina Park and Kensington Park respectively.

They should fancy their chances for a third straight win against bottom-of-the-table Guyana, who enter the match with two defeats against Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados.

Jamaica’s captain Tamar Lambert however, is aware that his team would have played two of the weakest opponents so far, while Guyana played two of the strongest, and it was behind this.

“We expect a tough challenge,” he said. “Guyana always play tough, and we cannot look and say they lost two matches on the trot.

“They are not going to come here and lie down. We have to go out there and play four days of positive cricket. The guys are really looking forward to the challenge.”

Guyana captain Ramnaresh Sarwan is looking for a major improvement from his side from the last two games.

In their two matches, Guyana scored 344 of which Sewnarine Chattergoon, who left to join the West Indies team in South Africa, got 130; and 249 in their second innings of which Sarwan hit 105 not out, against Trinidad & Tobago, while against Barbados, they only managed 185 and 289.

In the bowling department, the Guyanese have also conceded 1 115 runs for only 21 wickets.

“Obviously, it’s a pretty young squad and the bowling is very inexperienced, likewise the batting,” he said.

“I think they are very capable of handling themselves (better), and I am hoping that we can improve from the last game.

“I had asked after we played against T&T, but unfortunately, we got worst after that game, so I just hope we can get better as a team with some sort of improvement and leave Jamaica with some points.”

Again this week, the Guyanese batting line-up of Sarwan, Narsingh Deonarine, Travis Dowlin, and Leon Johnson is expected to face Jamaica’s spin duo of Nikita Miller and Odean Brown, who have shared 32 wickets between them so far while the fast bowlers, Jermaine Lawson and Andre Russell, have only taken two in two matches.

Jamaica’s batting has not clicked, as their highest score of 286 came against the Combined Campuses & Colleges, and only Wavell Hinds and Xavier Marshall have scored half-centuries this season.

David Bernard Jr, Lambert, Brendan Nash, who is yet to settle, and Carlton Baugh Jr should fancy themselves against a weak Guyanese attack this time around.

Guyana are without the experience of Mahendra Nagoomootoo and Neil McGarrell, along with Reon King and this is a big worry for Sarwan and his young troops.

Squads:

JAMAICA: Tamar Lambert (captain), Carlton Baugh Jr, David Bernard Jr, Odean Brown, Shawn Findlay, Wavell Hinds, Jermaine Lawson, Xavier Marshall, Nikita Miller, Brendan Nash, Donovan Pagon, Andrew Richardson, Andre Russell.

GUYANA: Ramnaresh Sarwan (captain), Brandon Bess, Darwin Christian, Esaun Crandon, Royston Crandon, Narsingh Deonarine, Travis Dowlin, Assad Fudadin, Trevon Garraway, Leon Johnson, Zaheer Mohammed, Veerasammy Permaul, Gajanand Singh.

UMPIRES: Maurice Chung, Vincent Bullen (Reserve: Vivian Johnson).