BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) - Front-runners Barbados will hunt a fourth straight victory in the Carib Beer 2004 Cricket Series against giant-killers West Indies-B in their top-of-the-table fourth round clash when Three Ws Oval at the Cave Hill campus of the University of the West Indies hosts its first regional first-class match, starting today.
Barbados head the standings with a maximum 36 points from their three previous matches that ended in a 10-wicket victory over Guyana at Kensington Oval, an innings and 90-run triumph over Windward Islands at North Stars Social & Cultural Club, and a 40-run win after conceding first innings points over Jamaica at Sabina Park.
West Indies-B are joint second with Trinidad & Tobago on 24 points. They have come from victories over Kenya by 12 runs in the opening round at Edgar Gilbert Complex, and Leeward Islands by eight wickets at Grove Park in the third round. They lost to T&T by seven wickets in the second round.
Since a B-Team has been introduced into the West Indies first-class championship three years ago, Barbados have dominated them. For a few reasons, not least the performance of this year’s B-Team, there is a feeling that this might not be the case this time around.
With seven Barbadians on the senior West Indies team in South Africa and on the B-Team, the double-crown defending champions are a little vulnerable.
It may not appear that way after they crushed the Windwards and upstaged the Jamaicans, but it has been their bowling, principally Tino Best’s, that has pulled them through those two matches.
The Barbados batting has been shaky in the last two matches. Sherwin Campbell, Ryan Hinds, Courtney Browne and Antonio Mayers share one half-century between them for the season and this was cruelly exposed against the Jamaicans, who failed to capitalise on their good fortune.
The West Indies-B attack is spearheaded by Jason Bennett, a Barbadian who was their leading wicket-taker last year, and Dwight Washington. These two have created a stir in the three previous matches and should provide a stern examination for the Barbados top-order batting.
The B-Team’s bowling also includes Anderson Sealy and Ryan Austin, two highly rated spin bowlers in their native Barbados. Left-arm spin bowler Sealy captured 97 wickets in last year’s Division 1 championship and off-spin bowler Austin played three seasons ago for the national team, but has been overlooked since.
No doubt Barbados’ strength is their bowling. Best has been the leading light with 23 wickets and left-arm medium-fast bowler Pedro Collins has been his main support with 14 wickets.
Should the batting again fail to click, they will have it all to do for the Barbadians, with Ryan Nurse and Sulieman Benn to back them up with pace and left-arm spin bowling respectively.
Like most, the B-Team’s batting has been inconsistent in the three early rounds.
Against the Leewards, Barbadian Patrick Browne was the top scorer and Danza Hyatt also played an important innings.
The B-Team will hope, however, that others like captain Jason Haynes, another Barbadian, who made his first-class debut for the UWI Vice Chancellor’s XI against Australia last year at the Three Ws Oval, Ryan Ramdass and Shawn Findlay will step up in this match.
The jury is still out on the Three Ws Oval pitch, but it certainly held no mystery when the Vice-Chancellor’s XI and Australia played there. It should be even, offering both batsmen and bowlers delight, and should add to the competitive edge of the match.
There have been intermittent showers in Barbados for the last week, but the weather is expected to be favourable all the way through.
Squads:
BARBADOS: Courtney Browne (captain), Sherwin Campbell, Martin Nurse, Ryan Hinds, Floyd Reifer, Shawn Graham, Antonio Mayers, Sulieman Benn, Ryan Nurse, Tino Best, Pedro Collins; Reserves: Mwanghi Broomes, Callitos Lopez.
WEST INDIES-B (from): Jason Haynes (captain), Ryan Ramdass, Patrick Browne, Danza Hyatt, Austin Richards Jr, Gregory Mahabir, Kenroy Williams, Shawn Findlay, Anderson Sealy, Jason Bennett, Dwight Washington, Ryan Austin, Dennis George, Antonio Thomas.
UMPIRES: Clancy Mack, Patrick Grazette (Reserve: Tunley Franklyn).