Reifer scored 85. - Junior Dowie photoAnthony Foster, Freelane Writer
HOSTS Jamaica will end their Zone A preliminary fixtures of the Red Stripe Bowl with a top-of-the-table clash game today against Barbados at Sabina Park, starting at 10:00 a.m.
With both teams already through to the semi-finals after victories over the Leeward Islands XI and University of the West Indies, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, this final match is important because it will determine the winners of the zone and who take on the runners-up in Zone B in the second semi-final at Kaiser on Thursday.
Last year Jamaica lost to Trinidad & Tobago in the preliminary round and that result cost them a place in the final after they played to a tie with Guyana in the semi-final at Kaiser Sport Ground.
The rules of the competition state that in the event of a tie in the semi-finals, the team with the greater preliminary round wins will advance to the final.
Jamaica's coach Robert Haynes said after what took place last year the players are more determined to beat Barbados and go to the semi-finals as the Zone winners.
"Barbados are a very good team and they have been winning, they have a few players who are scoring heavily, but what we have to do is to play some good positive cricket," Haynes said.
On paper, they both look good, and with Jamaica knocking off UWI by 10 wickets, St. Vincent and the Grenadies by 54 runs and Leeward Islands XI nine wicket, with Barbados defeating the Leeward Islands XI by 193 runs in a record scoring game, UWI by 102 and St. Vincent and the Grenadines by 109.
On show for Jamaica will be batsmen Christopher Gayle who scored 77 from 44 deliveries against UWI, Leon Garrick, who has two unbeaten innings (59 and 27), Wavell Hinds and Marlon Samuels, bowlers such as offspinner Gareth Breese and Gayle, young fast bowler Jermaine Lawson and Darren Powell.
For Barbados, there are batsmen Philo Wallace, Dale Richards, Ryan Hinds, Floyd Reifer and Kurt Wilkinson to be backed up by fast bowlers Pedro Collins, Corey Collymore, Ian Bradshaw and Vasbert Drakes, along with spinners Sulieman Benn and Hinds.
Meanwhile in the lastest game between Barbados and St. Vincent and the Grenadies at Chedwin Park yesterday, the former came away 109-run winners.
Barbados 310 (Floyd Reifer 85, Ryan Hinds 50, Kurt Wilkinson 42, Philo Wallace 30, Courtney Browne 30; Kenroy Martin 3-72, Kenroy Peters 2-37). St. Vincent 102 for nine (Romel Currency 58, Peters 27 not out, Cameron Cuffy 18 not out).
