By Tony Becca, Senior Sport Editor 
Samuels
JAMAICA and Guyana lock horns in the second round of the Busta Series at Sabina Park this morning starting at 10:00 and the stage is set for four days of tight cricket.
In fact, it should be a bruising, no-holds-barred contest from start to finish, and for two obvious reasons.
Reason No. 1 is revenge.
Last year, Guyana, who had earlier failed to win the Cup despite finishing the round robin contest level on points with Barbados, came to Sabina Park for the final of the International Shield and finished in the runners-up spot after losing first innings in a drawn encounter.
Reason No. 2 is fear.
In the first round, Jamaica dropped first innings points against the Windward Islands, Guyana lost to Barbados, and although there are six more rounds to come in the hunt for the Cup and a place in the semi-finals of the International Shield and therefore no need to panic, both teams are nervous - Jamaica extremely so.
Jamaica are shaking not so much because they failed to beat the Cinderellas of the region, not because they did not get even first innings points from them, but because they did not play well.
"We just did not bowl properly," said captain Robert Samuels yesterday morning. "It is true we did not bat well either, but we batted well enough to have done better had we bowled better than we did."
Although he expected better from his batsmen, Samuels is not worried about the team's batting. He is, however, deeply concerned about the bowling.
"Somehow, I believe the batting will come together, but the bowling, well, that's a problem. We've got to do something about it."
Guyana are nervous not so much because they are without a point after one round but because, like Jamaica, they did not play well, like Jamaica they did not bowl well.
"The bowlers did not bowl well in the opening game," said coach Albert Smith on Tuesday.
For both teams, therefore, the need is for improved bowling over the next four days, and while the teams have not yet been announced, they could tackle the problem in different ways.
With pacer Colin Stuart, like wicketkeeper Vishal Nagamootoo, nursing an injury and not in the squad, and with Carl Hooper leading the West Indies team in Sharjah, Guyana's best bowlers are pacer Reon King, legspinner Mahendra Nagamootoo, and left-arm spinner Neil McGarrell, and the visitors are expected to stick with them and simply hope, and pray, that they come good.
Apart from what the argument in cricket circles that the bowlers employed against the Windward Islands were not Jamaica's best, the home team's selectors are not known to hope and pray and they are likely to make a few changes.
Brian Murphy, the legspinner who pulled his left hamstring while batting and before he bowled a ball against the Windward Islands, was suffering up to yesterday and his place should go to left-arm spinner Ryan Cunningham, and if Jermaine Lawson and Audley Sanson bowled as badly against the Windward Islands as it has been reported, they too may be replaced.
If they are, it could mean the return of Dwight Mais, who missed the first match because of an injury suffered on the eve of the game, and Darren Powell - the excitingly fast bowler who would then be making his debut.
Fielding aside, cricket, however, is a game of batting and bowling, and apart from bowling well, both teams will need to bat well.
Playing without Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds and Marlon Samuels, Jamaica struggled to 178 and 175 for five against the Windward Islands; and playing without Hooper, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan, Guyana folded for 231 and 239 against Barbados.
Despite a bit of grass, however, the Sabina Park pitch looks tough, although it could provide some bounce for the pacers, it should be good for batting, and the next four days should be a wonderful opportunity for the batsmen on both sides to parade their class.
If the bowlers come good, if the batsmen come good, such is the promise of the pitch that cricket fans should enjoy Garrick, Brenton Parchment, Ricardo Powell, Samuels, Mario Ventura, Gareth Breese and wicketkeeper Keith Hibbert of Jamaica versus Reon King and possibly Kevin Darlington, Nagamootoo and McGarrell of Guyana, as well as Azeemul Haniff, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Travis Dowlin, Lennox Cush, Hamchand Pooran and allrounder Andre Percival of Guyana against a Jamaica attack that will definitely include offspinner Breese and medium-pacer Laurie Williams and possibly Mais, Darren Powell and Cunningham.
SECOND ROUND
Jamaica vs Guyana at Sabina Park
Barbados vs Windwards at Kensington Oval
Trinidad vs West Indies B at Guaracara Park
Leewards vs Bangladesh A at Airport Cricket Ground
School children free
SCHOOL CHILDREN attending today's Busta Series match between Jamaica and Guyana will be admitted free of cost to the North-western Stand.
The price of admission to the Headley Stand will be $200 for adults. Women with children will be admitted free of charge.
