Josephs and Garrick JAMAICA TAKE on the Leeward Islands in the fourth round of the Busta cricket series at Kaiser Sports Club, Discovery Bay, today, and with both teams sharing the lead on 27 points each, it should be, based on the standings and players in both teams, a tough contest from start to finish.
Looking at the two teams, however, Jamaica, who are expected to line-up with the same 11 players who defeated Barbados, should start favourites.
With a batting line-up that starts with Leon Garrick and David Bernard Jnr. and includes Ricardo Powell, Robert Samuels, Mario Ventura plus Gareth Breese, Keith Hibbert and Laurie Williams, Jamaica looks stronger than the Leeward Islands in batting; and with pacers Darrell Powell and Jermaine Lawson, medium-pacers Laurie Williams and Bernard, offspinner Breese and left-arm spinner Ryan Cunningham, their bowling has more variety.
In Stuart Williams, Dave Joseph, Alex Adams, Junie Mitchum and Sylvester Joseph who stroked 211 not out against the West Indies B after sitting on the bench for the first two rounds, plus Ian Tittle who, by scoring 101 not out, also enjoyed himself against the West Indies B, the Leeward Islands, however, possess some dangerous batsmen.
While they may not boast the variety of Jamaica, in fast bowlers Kerry Jeremy and Ricky Christopher, in offspinner Omari Banks who almost robbed Jamaica of first innings lead last year with figures of seven for 70, they also boast three talented bowlers.
There is one other reason why Jamaica should start favourites. Although both teams recovered to win their last two matches after dropping first innings points in the opening round of the tournament, Jamaica's successes were against Guyana and Barbados while the Leeward Islands' two victories were against Bangladesh A and the West Indies B.
Favourites, however, do not always win, and although their batting should be good enough to deal with the Leeward Islands bowling and their bowling should also be good enough to stifle the traditionally attacking Leeward Islands batsmen, Jamaica will have to be at their best, their very best, to win the match or to win first innings points.
In 1999 at Sabina Park, Jamaica won by an innings and 58 runs; in 2000 at the ARG, the Leeward Islands won by an innings and 46 runs, and in a drawn match last year in St. Kitts, Jamaica took first innings by three runs after surviving Banks in a thrilling contest.
Those results show that when Jamaica and the Leeward Islands come face to face, any number can play.
This time, however, with both teams locked at the top, with the teams closely matched, it should be a good, close contest, and although it may not be like last year's fight for first innings, it should also be exciting.
There should also be some good cricket on what is usually a good pitch. The fans, for example, could be treated to some lovely strokeplay by the likes of Ricardo Powell, Sylvester Joseph and Breese.
The contests in the contest, however, the real excitement, could come from Darrell Powell and Lawson, Jamaica's two young fast bowlers, versus Stuart Williams, and from Jeremy and Christopher, the Leeward Islands two young fast bowlers, versus Garrick.
