Defending Carib Beer regional first-class cricket champions Barbados begin their quest for glory in 2004 when they take on a Guyana side in the first round of this year's Carib Beer four-day competition at the Kensington Oval today.
Both teams are without their test players who are in South Africa with the West Indies team but the young players on both sides will be keen to stake a place for selection on the regional team for the home series against England, which should make for a very competitive Carib Beer series.
Guyana arrived in Barbados on Wednesday and practised Wednesday afternoon and yesterday morning at the Police ground while the home team, which won both the Carib Beer Cup and the Carib Beer International shield last year, practised at the Queens Park ground in Bridgetown.
Team spirit was sky high in the Guyana camp yesterday despite a minor injury scare to pacer Reon Griffith.
Griffith, who complained of back pain was taken to a city doctor but was given the go ahead to play today although an X-ray was recommended. The final Guyana eleven was expected to be named last evening.
Azeemul Haniff and Sewnarine Chattergoon should open the batting while there is the temptation among the management team to include third opener, Krishna Arjune, in the batting line up and leave out either Travis Dowlin or Andre Percival.
Percival, has been picked for his experience in a team without Carl Hooper, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
He has done well against Barbados in the past with his highest first-class score of 96 made at Kensington in 2002 when Guyana last played in Barbados.
Dowlin had two ordinary seasons after scoring 422 runs in 2001, but his experience and ability to bowl off-spin could gain him another chance to resurrect his career at the first-class level.
The exciting left-handed Narsingh Deonarine should aim for big scores with the regional selectors keen on picking young players with little experience but plenty of talent.
Deonarine could be one of the players to watch this year ahead of the English tour to the Caribbean.
Lennox Cush will want to reproduce his 2002 form when he scored two centuries and along with vice-captain Mahendra Nagamootoo, Vishal Nagamootoo and Neil McGarrell, should take care of the Guyana batting on what should be a good track for batting with some bounce.
Both the Nagamootoo brothers have first-class hundreds to their name while Griffith recorded an unbeaten 82 against the West Indies `B' last year.
Fast bowler Eusan Crandon is considered an all-rounder which gives Guyana a very strong batting line up.
Griffith, and Crandon who played three matches last year after making his first-class debut in his only match of the 2001 season, should share the new ball while leg-spinner Nagamootoo, who holds the record for the most wickets in a regional first-class season (50 in 2002) and left-arm spinner McGarrell, should do the bulk of the bowling with assistance from the much improved off-spin of Cush. Deonarine, Dowlin and Chattergoon can also chip in with some spin if required.
Guyana's coach Albert Smith says he is satisfied with the team's practice sessions and said that everyone is eager to get into action. He hinted that Guyana might play just two pacers which will mean that Reon Thomas, arguably the quickest bowler in the team, could start the 2004 season on the bench with Arjune.
Smith said he expects the batsmen to do well since they all have been around at this level for a while and feels that if Nagamootoo and McGarrell, both with test experience, bowl to their full ability, Guyana could start the competition with success.
Last year rain prevented Barbados from taking full points from Guyana at Albion, although Guyana took seven second-innings wickets in a hectic run chase before the Bajans opted to play it safe rather than be sorry and accepted the offer of bad light from the umpires.
The last time Guyana played in Barbados they lost by 162 runs as Philo Wallace (99) and Kirk Wilkinson (92) led the way for the home team.
McGarrell had nine wickets in that game while Percival batted with great fight. The two will again be in action but Wallace has been discarded as the Bajans, with a record 18 first-class titles since sponsored regional cricket began in 1966, look towards moulding a young team.
Martin Nurse, the 18-year-old who struggled in the 2003 under-19 competition in Guyana but scored the most runs in the 2003 Barbados division-one season, was set to open the batting with the experienced Sherwin Campbell.
However, Nurse has CXC exams to sit today and will miss the game.
Wilkinson should open with Campbell with Floyd Reifer, Ryan Hinds, Ryan Hurley, skipper Courtney Browne and Ian Bradshaw all capable of getting runs at this level, to follow.
The Bajans could opt to leave out left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn and play four fast bowlers since Hinds, who holds the record for the most wickets in a regional first-class innings (nine against the Leewards in 2001) can bowl useful left-arm spin.
The thinking in Barbados is that recent Guyana batsmen with the exception of Hooper and Chanderpaul are uncomfortable against short-pitched bowling and the homesters could go into today's game with a four-pronged pace attack consisting of Antonio Mayers, Bradshaw, Pedro Collins, Ryan Nurse and the hostile but erratic Tino Best.
The match starts at 10am and GBC will carry live ball-by-ball commentary of the game as Guyana, who last won the regional first class title (Busta International Shield) in 2002, begin their quest for their eighth regional first-class title.