- Junior DowieGareth Breese guides a ball through slips on his way to 85 during Jamaica's final Busta Cup practice match at Sabina Park yesterday.
Tym Glaser, Associate Editor - Sport
OSTENSIBLY, IT was a knock to impress the Jamaica selectors for this year's Busta Cup championship but in reality Wavell Hinds' undefeated effort of 167 during the third and ultimately final day of Jamaica Cup practice had far broader meaning.
To Hind, it's one day and game at a time but 22 fours, four sixes in 145 balls must push the young lefthander's name well before the Windies selectors during a game which petered out to a non-event.
The practice exercise will be completed by a one-day game which starts at 9:30 today before the selectors convene to pick the national 16-man squad at 3:00.
Hinds showed the utmost class yesterday and played each ball on its merit. The good 'uns were left or played back to the bowler while the bad ones were dispatched to the boundary with contemptuous ease.
"I'm happy with the time I spent in the middle and I am pleased with the score as well because it brings a lot of confidence to me and I'll try to improve still," Hinds said.
Hinds is guaranteed a berth on the Jamaica 16-man squad but he claims he had no higher goals during yesterday's performance.
"You can't take anything for granted, so you take it one stage at a time. As it is right now, this is a practice game for Jamaica," he said.
Meanwhile, Melbourne skipper Robert Samuels will captain this year's Busta team and Gareth Breese will be his deputy.
For those keeping score, Samuels' XI made 205 and 265 while Breese's troops amassed a fine 439 with the skipper contributing 85 and Royan Smith 43 as the tail wagged mightily yesterday.
