BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - (CMC)- Barbados, double-crown winners in the West Indies first-class championship last year, and Guyana, reigning champions of the West Indies limited-overs competition, confront each other in the key match of the opening round in the Carib Beer 2004 Cricket Series that opens today.
Barbados created history last year when they won the Carib Beer Cup from the six territorial sides and then progressed to take the Carib Beer International Challenge that extends to an invited international side and an Under-23 West Indies B-Team.
The Barbadians became the first side to take both titles, since the two-tiered competition was introduced into the West Indies first-class season for the first time three years ago.
Barbados captain Courtney Browne proudly displayed winning trophies last year.
Last October, Guyana defied the odds and the predictions to clinch the Red Stripe Bowl limited-overs championship from the over-confident Barbadians in the final at Kaiser Oval in Jamaica.
The Barbadians had earlier crushed the Guyanese in a preliminary match before the One-day champions rebounded in the Championship match to underline the competitiveness that always rises to the surface between the two oldest first-class sides in the Caribbean.
Last year, the two teams played to a nail-biting draw at Albion with the Barbados ninth-wicket pair of Dwayne Smith and Ian Bradshaw narrowly failing to take the side to victory.
The story was a little different the previous year, however, when the Barbadians completed a 162-run triumph at Kensington Oval, where the two teams have contested 20 matches in the modern West Indies first-class championship (1966 onwards), and the home team has won 11 times.
SOLID BATTING
With opening batsman Sherwin Campbell, left-hander Floyd Reifer and captain Courtney Browne in tow, Barbados' batting has a solid look about it, although the selectors overlooked the big-hitting Philo Wallace, the island's leading scorer at this level.
It is time, however, for others like Ryan Hinds and Kurt Wilkinson, who will partner Campbell, to show their star quality on the regional stage and the title-holders will be looking for them to make a big impact upon the Championship.
Barbados' attack will revolve around Test fast bowler Pedro Collins, the brother of West Indies fast bowler Fidel Edwards; Bradshaw, who is 11 wickets away from 100 in the regional championship; Tino Best, last season's leading bowler; and left-arm spin bowler Sulieman Benn.
Support for them will come from spin bowling all-rounders Ryan Hurley and Hinds.
Guyana's batting is less formidable than their opponents, but they have a core of talented protagonists that could nullify the Barbadians' attack.
Azeemul Haniff, Travis Dowlin and Andre Percival will be the three key links in the batting.
Others like the highly regarded left-hander Narsingh Deonarine and fellow leftie Sewnarine Chattergoon can put up some resistance, with all-rounder Mahendra Nagamootoo and captain Neil McGarrell in the lower order.
As always, Guyana's attack will be heavily dependent on spin bowling, and Nagamootoo with 233 wickets at 25.79 apiece and McGarrell with 192 at 23.65 will have to do a lot of bowling, as much of their bowling support is inexperienced.
Fast bowlers Esaun Crandon, Rayon Griffith and Rayon Thomas are all bowlers with a bright future for Guyana. They will have to find their mark early if the Barbadian batsmen are to be prevented from running away with it.
SQUADS:
Barbados (from): Courtney Browne (captain), Sherwin Campbell, Kurt Wilkinson, Ryan Hinds, Floyd Reifer, Antonio Mayers, Ryan Hurley, Ian Bradshaw, Ryan Nurse, Sulieman Benn, Pedro Collins, Tino Best, Ryan Layne.
Guyana (from): Neil McGarrell (captain), Mahendra Nagamootoo (vice-captain), Sewnarine Chattergoon, Azeemul Haniff, Krishna Arjune, Lennox Cush, Travis Dowlin, Narsingh Deonarine, Vishal Nagamootoo, Rayon Griffith, Rayon Thomas, Esaun Crandon, Andre Percival.
Umpires: Billy Doctrove, Vincent Bullen (Reserve: Andrew Corbin).