Champs Bridgeport face Old Harbour in JEP final

The final match in the Jamaica Energy Partners (JEP) 40-over competition is set for this Sunday at Port Esquivel, after weeks of intense cricket action across the parish of St Catherine, with defending champions Bridgeport battling hot favourites Old Harbour.

The contest pits two unbeaten teams after 11-time champions Old Harbour brushed aside Victorian Eagles by seven wickets in their semi-final. Bridgeport defeated Basement by six wickets to earn a chance at defending the crown.

Both teams have their fair share of talent, with Bridgeport looking to Junior Morrison, Oshane Baugh, Roy Williams and captain Dwayne Guthrie to score runs.

In the bowling, they have Kern Duckett, Robert Hibbert, Guthrie and Williams to take the wickets on a Port Esquivel wicket that could be tricky, having seen a lot of football over the past few weeks.

Duckett could be a handful as he is the only player in this year's competition to have picked up a hat-trick.

Old Harbour, on the other hand, will be banking heavily on national all-rounder Peat Salmon along with Romone Francis, Damion Wolliston, Erron Downer and captain Ronville Brown to score the brunt of their runs.

Salmon, in particular, will be looking to exact revenge on Bridgeport, as he recently lost the Jamaica T10 final playing for the Surrey Royals against the Surrey Kings.

According to Old Harbour's coach Orane Kelly, they are not perturbed as they have won the competition seven years straight between 2002 and 2008.

"We have a good all-round team, and we are confident that we can put on a good performance to lift the title. Our team might not be scoring the big runs to win matches, but our bowling has been good," Kelly said.

Their bowling will come from Salmon, Rohan Francis, Deron Royal, Romone Francis and the veteran Lascelles Davis.