BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) - Disarmed by the exodus of three key members, double-crown holders Barbados will be looking for optimum performance from their replacements when they face Windward Islands in their second round match of the Carib Beer 2004 Cricket Series, starting today at the North Stars Sports & Cultural Club.
None of the other sides in the competition should take heart in Barbados’ cupboard being raided by the West Indies selectors when they named Ian Bradshaw, Ryan Hurley and Kurt Wilkinson in the squad for the five-match One-day International Series against South Africa to boost the number of Barbadians on the regional side to seven.
Their replacements, boldly named in a final 11 a few hours after Courtney Browne’s side had completed a 10-wicket triumph over Guyana in the opening round, were Sulieman Benn, Martin Nurse and newcomer Shawn Graham, all cricketers of some promise.
Benn, the beanpole, orthodox left-arm spin bowler, will be the fourth leg of the attack, after the selectors opted for pure pace in the opening match against the Guyanese, believing the conditions and the opposition were right for the taking.
In his four previous seasons of regional first-class cricket, Benn has captured 79 wickets at 24.70 apiece in 20 matches and has a mean economy rate of 2.54, if not strike rate of one wicket every 58 balls.
Teenager Nurse, a left-handed opener, has been the leading batsman in the Barbados Cricket Association’s Division One Championship for two out of the last three years and has played in national colours and for West Indies-B in the same period.
He was short-listed for the Young West Indies squad that will attend next month’s ICC Youth World Cup in Bangladesh, but did not make the final cut, much to the surprise of many of his fellow countrymen, who have seen him dismantle some of the best club attacks in the island.
Graham, 26, and a former Young Barbados captain, is finally given the recognition at the first-class level after several seasons of consistent performances in the BCA Division One Championship.
He was also good enough last year, to play for the University of the West Indies’ side that took part in the Red Stripe Bowl West Indies One-day championship under the leadership of compatriot Philo Wallace.
If the other teams should not take Barbados lightly, then the Barbadians themselves should not be lulled into a false sense of security against the Windwards, a side that they have beaten 14 times in 22 matches.
Windwards, the perennial Cinderella team of Caribbean cricket, secured first innings points in a draw against Jamaica in their opening match at St Lucia’s Beausejour Stadium. Untouched by the West Indies selectors, the Windwards have all their best players available to them.
This means that Devon Smith, one of the leading batsmen in the Championship over the last three years, who played four Tests and three ODIs last year, will open the batting with Rommel Currency with whom he has formed a reliable pair.
It also means that the middle-order still contains wicketkeeper/batsman Junior Murray, and captain and leg-spin all-rounder Rawl Lewis, and that the bowling will be spearheaded by Cameron Cuffy, all of whom have made Test and ODI appearances for West Indies.
In the match against Jamaica, the Windwards showed that they may have found a strong enough bowling combination to put their opponents under pressure with the likes of Fernix Thomas, Darren Sammy, Shane Shillingford and Orlanzo Jackson.
But they also batted quite deep with the aforementioned bowlers raising them from the peril of 98 for five to 273 in the first innings and a valuable six points over opponents who, like Barbados, hold a similar record over them.
Whether this has been a deliberate attempt by the Windwards selection panel to beef up the oft-times feeble batting of the side with bowlers with some ability to bat is purely conjecture. But they will be hoping for more of the same against the Barbadians and other opponents to be a competitive force in the Championship.
This will only be the second first-class match contested at the North Stars Sports & Cultural Club and so the quality of the pitch is still unknown. In club, national trial and West Indies youth cricket matches played there, it has tended to offer a bit to the fast bowlers, but last year played easily when the Barbadians faced Jamaica there.
The weather should be fine all the way through.
In other matches starting today, West Indies B take on Trinidad and Tobago at Couva, and Kenya clash with Leewards in Anguilla.
Squads:
BARBADOS: Courtney Browne (captain), Sherwin Campbell, Martin Nurse, Ryan Hinds, Floyd Reifer, Shawn Graham, Antonio Mayers, Sulieman Benn, Ryan Nurse, Pedro Collins, Tino Best; Reserves: Alcindo Holder, Ryan Layne.