Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

Two-time defending champions St Catherine CC will be one of several teams who will bow into action today, the opening day of the 2012 Jamaica Twenty20 tournament.

The Tamar Lambert-led unit, which is expected to have in their line-up Danza Hyatt, Odean Brown and Wayne Morgan, will play Portmore CA in the feature match of a double-header at G.C. Foster College, beginning at 10 a.m.

The second game will see Kingston CC, who are expected to feature the likes of Andrew Richardson and Chadwick Walton, taking on Kingston and St Andrew CA at 2 p.m.

"Everybody is looking forward to the start of the tournament, and so are we," said St Catherine CC captain Tamar Lambert.

"We won the tournament in the first two years and we are looking to make it a third straight.

"It won't be easy, but beginning with Portmore, who we can't take lightly, we need to bring our 'A' game, which means our best cricket on the day."

Meanwhile, in another key matchup, former champions Melbourne will go up against reigning JCA 50-Over champions Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) at Melbourne Oval.

Melbourne are expected to have in their line-up Carlton Baugh Jr, Nikita Miller and Donovan Pagon, while JDF are expected to pin their hopes on Dennis Bulli, Akbar Moodie and Joseph Palmer.

In other matches, Portland will play St Mary at 10 a.m. and St Ann will take on University of Technology at 2 p.m. at Folly Oval; Trelawny will face St James at 10 a.m. and Hanover will tackle West-moreland at 2 p.m. at Bog.

Clarendon will square off with St Elizabeth and St Catherine CA will play Man-chester at 2 p.m. at Manley Horne Park, while Kensington and Lucas, and Police and St Thomas will face off at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively, at Kensington.

A total of 24 teams will again participate in this year's tournament, which will be played on Saturdays and Sundays, the winners slated to take home $200,000, second place $100,000, third place $50,000, and fourth $25,000.