By Tony Becca,
Senior Sport Editor
JAMAICA begin their defence of the Busta Cup when they take on the Windward Islands at Sabina Park today, the action in the four-day contest is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., and coach Robert Haynes is confident of a winning start.
"The guys are bubbling," said Haynes yesterday morning as the players went through their final tune-up in the nets at Sabina Park.
"They are fit, physically and mentally and the vibes are right. They are going for this one. They want a winning start and they should get a winning start."
Looking at the players in the nets and around the ground, Haynes could be right: the batsmen were timing the ball well, the bowlers looked sharp and they were all fielding and catching well.
As fit as the players are, however, as good as they look in the nets, and as confident as coach Haynes is, with six players - batsmen James Adams, Wavell Hinds, Marlon Samuels and Ricardo Powell, allrounder Laurie Williams, and veteran fast bowler Courtney Walsh - on West Indies duty and unavailable, the selectors, chairman Ruddy Williams, Linden Wright and Courtney Daley plus acting captain Robert Samuels, must be a bit concerned - particularly about the batting.
With fast bowlers Franklyn Rose, Denville McKenzie, Audley Sanson and the impressive Darren Powell to choose from, and with two spin bowlers as good as off-spinner Nehemiah Perry and left-arm spinner Ryan Cunningham available, the bowling is in good hands and despite the presence of Devon Smith, the aggressive Balty Watt, young Romel Currency and the plucky Junior Murray should be good enough to deal with the Windward Islands batting.
The batting, however, could be a problem, and although pacers Nixon McLean and Cameron Cuffy are also on West Indies duty, although left-arm spinner Roy Marshall is not here, it could run into trouble against an attack that includes not so much pacer McNeil Morgan, but legspinner Rawl Lewis and young offspinner Shane Shillingford.
The performance of the batsmen during the trial matches was disappointing and because of that the selectors may be tempted to put in as many as they can.
If, as expected, they heed to temptation, Jamaica, who will also have to decide which two of the four opening batsmen in the 16-man squad will open the innings, will take the field with two fast bowlers, two spin bowlers, and seven batsmen - including the wicketkeeper and in Christopher Gayle and Gareth Breese, two who bowl offspin.
The line-up then could well be Gayle and Brenton Parchment, Leon Garrick, Samuels, Wayne Cuff, Breese, Keith Hibbert, Perry, Rose, McKenzie and Cunningham.
There is, however, the possibility that as the team's top batsman, Gayle could bat at number three with Parchment and Garrick going in first.
Looking at both teams and the pitch, this is a match that should be dominated by bowlers and should be won by Jamaica - especially if they win the toss and bowl first.
The Test match pitch is the one on which the match will be played and normally it is good for batting. Yesterday, however, it was obvious there was moisture in it, the sun stayed away all day and it could be a bowler's friend from the first over - especially to a fast bowler with the skill of Rose.
The odds are on Jamaica, but don't write off a Windward Islands team which includes batsmen John Sylvester and the rejuvenated John Eugene, a few of their talented youngsters from the team which won the West Indies Under-19 tournament last year and one that is also bubbling with confidence after beating the odds and winning the Red Stripe Bowl a few months ago.
TODAY'S GAMES
(Home team listed first)
Day Two: Trinidad and Tobago v. Leeward Islands
Day One: Jamaica v. Windward Islands
Barbados v. Guyana
England A v. West Indies B - Grenada
