Barbados will be hunting victory to guarantee themselves a semi-final place when they meet Windward Islands in their sixth and final round match in the WICB Regional Four-Day competition starting today at Queen’s Park Stadium in Grenada.
With three victories under their belt, Barbados lie third in the table on 36 points and maximum points against Windwards would assure them second place behind runaway leaders Jamaica.
Barbados will have to make do without key all-rounder Dwayne Smith who has been withdrawn from the squad to prepare for the two Digicel Twenty20 Internationals between West Indies and Australia.
Smith’s place in the 13-man squad has been taken by uncapped all-rounder Justin Greaves.
Four-time defending champions Jamaica will be seeking to maintain their 100 per cent winning record when they face Combined Campuses and Colleges at the 3Ws Oval.
Last year, CCC were real pretenders to the throne but this year, with four losses in five matches, they are lowly subjects and could be taught another hard lesson.
Whereas Jamaica, are already assured of a semi-final berth with the maximum 60 points, their opponents have failed to make the grade with just 16 points.
CCC’s calamitous performance has been caused by the below-par batting of their frontline batsmen, all of whom, including coach Floyd Reifer and captain Romel Currency, are averaging under 22. Currency has been omitted.
The promising Nkrumah Bonner (196 runs, average 21.77) will sit out this game following a request by the West Indies Cricket Board.
Bonner is followed by fast-bowling all-rounder Jason Holder (180 runs, ave: 20.00) and wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton (160, ave: 20.00).
Youngsters Yannick Ottley (152 runs, ave: 16.88); Raymon Reifer (143 runs, ave: 15.88) and Kyle Corbin (124 runs, 13.77) have all underachieved in their nine innings.
Currency’s returns of 75 runs, average 8.33 from nine innings with a highest score of 29, have been of little value.
Two of the three joint leading wicket-takers – CCC’s consistent off-spinner Ryan Austin (31 scalps at 17.74) and Jamaica’s left-arm spinner Nikita Miller (31 wickets at 11.03) – will be in action. (HG/EZS)
