LUCAS STREET, Barbados, (CMC) - Unbeaten Barbados will be chasing down their fifth straight win in the Carib Beer 2004 Cricket Series when they face Kenya in the fifth round of matches, starting today at Windward Sports Club.
The Barbadians top the standings with a maximum 48 points from victories in their four previous matches against Guyana, Windward Islands, Jamaica and West Indies-B.
Kenya are sixth, following defeat to West Indies-B and three drawn matches against Leeward Islands, Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica in which they won first innings twice to tally 14 points.
Barbados will be looking to become only the second team to beat the Kenyans in this year’s championship, but this could prove difficult for the Barbadians against plucky opposition.
All of Barbados’ victims this season can attest to the strength of the bowling. Tino Best has been the spearhead with 26 wickets at 11.00 apiece and he has gained mighty support from Pedro Collins with 18 wickets at 15.11 and Ryan Nurse with 17 scalps at 14.76.
They will provide one of the biggest tests for the Kenyan batting that has shown itself to be pretty defiant, particularly in their last three matches when they lashed over 500 against Leewards, held out for the draw against T&T, and batted with aplomb against the Jamaicans.
The Achilles heel for Barbados this season has been its batting.
Since making 442 for seven declared and 10 without loss in the opener against Guyana, Barbados have totalled 295, 198, 251, 217 and 215 for eight declared.
Had Kenya a much stronger bowling attack, they might have been in a position to take advantage of the Barbados’ questionable batting in the last three matches and put some pressure on the defending double crown champions.
The Windward SC pitch is expected to be hard and true, offering enough to both batsmen and bowlers.
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.
KENYA (from): Steve Tikolo (captain), Rageb Aga, Alfred Luseno, Hitesh Modi, Collins Obuya, Francis Obuya, Kennedy Obuya, Maurice Odumbe, Peter Ongondo, Lameck Onyango, Maurice Ouma, Brijal Patel, Ravindu Shah, Martin Suji.