John Ross Campbell - file

DEFENDING champions UTech Knights will be hoping for a positive start when they oppose G.C. Foster at 9:30 a.m. today, in the UTech Twenty 20 Cricket Classics at their home ground.

The second game, which begins at 1:30 p.m, will see The Mico University College opposing UWI Pelicans. The competition will see two preliminary round matches for three days before the grand final on Sunday where the top four university and college teams in the island will seek glory in the limited overs competition.

The competition, which is being staged for the third year in a row, will not have the presence of any overseas team this time around as former champions Cave Hill from Barbados and Southampton Solent from the United Kingdom will not be around.

Despite the absence of the overseas-based teams there should be a lot in store for the fans as all four teams in the competition will be well represented with several national youth players in their line-ups.

In the opening encounter, the home team should get off the mark against the Spanish Town-based G.C.Foster as they have a well balanced team. Former national Under-19 players Jon-Ross Campbell and Christe Jones, along with former National Under-15 players Oneil Wright and Brian Clarke are expected to carry the fight for the defending champions.

G.C. Foster College will be hoping that former national senior invitee Dwight Stewart will help to motivate his team to an upset win.

In the second encounter, it should be close going as despite the presence of several former national youth players in their line-up, The Mico University College is expected to have a battle royal with the UWI team.

With the absence of Nkrumah Bonner, who is on duty for the Combined Campuses and College team in the Caribbean Twenty 20 senior competition, they will be well represented by the likes of Zeniffe Fowler, Shacoya Thomas, Coi Thompson, Vander Rowe and Marlon Johnson, who have all played for the country at the youth level.