TRINIDADIAN Justin Guillen and Guyanese Gilford Moore are at the top of the batting and bowling averages before today's start of the penultimate series in the 2009 Caribbean Alliance Division 1 Cricket Championship.

Left-handed opener Guillen has scored 411 runs at an average of 102.75 in just four matches for Inspire Sports Wanderers, while swing bowler Moore has captured 36 wickets at a miserly 13.33 runs each in ten games.

Guardian General Barbados Youth's 16-year-old opener Kraigg Brathwaite (866 runs, ave: 72.16) is second in the batting averages, followed by Wanderers' Martin Nurse (957 runs, ave: 68.35).

Next is ESAF Pickwick's Kyle Hope, who has the highest aggregate of 1018 runs (ave: 67.86), which is a new record for the most runs in a modern-day Division 1 competition.

Carlton's inspirational all-rounder Khalid Springer is second in the bowling averages with 35 wickets at 13.77 runs apiece.

LIME's leg-spinner Nikolai Charles is the leading wicket-taker with 72 scalps at 14.37 runs each.

The unquestioned match of the day is the top-of-the-table clash between leaders Sagicor UWI and second-placed TeleBarbados Carlton at Black Rock.

There is a 11-point gap separating the two teams, meaning the pressure is very much on Carlton to score an outright victory.

Carlton will need to play at their very best to knock off the unbeaten UWI side that has arguably been the pick of the 16 teams. Springer and former Test fast bowler Corey Collymore will spearhead a Carlton attack that must bowl out the UWI team twice to stay in the hunt for their first Division 1 crown since 1981.

Third-placed ICBL Empire, who have an outside chance of capturing the title, travel to Trents to play the inconsistent Maple who are 12th. The Blues must beat Maple and hope that the UWI/Carlton match ends in a draw with Carlton getting the upperhand hand.

Inspire Wanderers, who had a shock win over Carlton in the last series, will head to Queen's Park to face the challenge of seventh-placed Spartan. (EZS/MK)