Tony Becca
AFTER STARTING as one of the favourites to win the Carib Beer Cup and the Carib Beer Challenge Shield, Jamaica are now out of the race for the Cup and struggling to qualify for the play-offs for the Shield.
With one match to go, Jamaica, on 12 points from two matches after a promising start, are still on 12 from four matches.
With only 12 points for a victory, with Barbados on 24 from three and conquerors of Jamaica, with Trinidad and Tobago on 18 from two and boasting a win over Jamaica, they (Jamaica) can no longer win the Cup - not even if Barbados lose their two remaining matches, not even if Trinidad and Tobago manage only six points from their three, and not even if Jamaica win their last match.
As far as the shield is concerned, Jamaica's chance of qualifying for it is slim, very slim, to say the least.
FACING TOUGH OPPOSITION
With only the top four teams qualifying, and with Guyana on nine from two and the Leeward Islands on nine from three, Jamaica, who will be up against a full strength Guyana in their last match, will have to win that match in order, not to qualify, but to have a chance of qualifying.
Apart from the fact that the gods may have frowned on them after their decision not to go for victory when they needed only four runs to defeat the Leeward Islands in their first match, and again after their negative approach when, instead of going for victory early, instead of putting the pressure on the opposing batsmen, they wasted time and allowed the Windward Islands to hang on for a draw in their second match, Jamaica's predicament, despite the words of captain Wavell Hinds and coach Robert Haynes, is due to one thing - poor batting.
Hinds has been quoted as saying "the selectors need to meet and think about the persons who make a good team", that "the technical staff will just have to revisit and see what kind of game plan we have and the kind of attitude and culture that surrounds the team".
Haynes has been quoted as saying "if you represent your country it should not matter who is the captain", that "there are other players who are willing to play for Jamaica", and that "no one is bigger than cricket".
TROUBLE IN THE CAMP
All is not well, or was not well in the Jamaica camp during the past two matches, and that may well be true.
Remembering, however, all the nice things that have always been said about the team by the management of the team, and especially whenever Jamaica win or do well, it may also be true that this condemnation of the players is borne out of the disappointment which has seen the double defending champions, after being dismissed for 193 and 89 in Port-of-Spain, after being routed for 129 in Bridgetown, and after losing by 282 runs and by 10 wickets, out of one competition and in grave danger of not even qualifying for the other after a promising start.
Lest we forget, the promising start had nothing to do with the batting of the team, but with the points won from two first innings lead. Lest it be forgotten, the same team that was praised for team spirit batted badly in those first two games - and particularly so in the opening match when, after looking 197 runs for first innings lead, they were trailing when the last pair came together at 193 for nine and added 30 runs.
DÉJÀ VU
It happened again when after chasing 216 for victory, the last pair came together at 187 for nine and added 25 runs before they were called off by timid management after the umpires had offered light.
The reason, according to Hinds and Haynes, why Jamaica performed so poorly in Port-of-Spain and Bridgetown, is food for thought, and especially so following these words by Hinds.
"When we batted there was no commitment," said the Jamaica captain. "Nobody tried to occupy the crease. Everybody wanted to satisfy their own ego in playing all the extravagant shots. Yes, they got two shots off, but at the end of the day the team suffered badly."
That, however, is nothing new in Jamaica's cricket. That has been the case in the past few years and as talented as Jamaica's batsmen may be, that is why most of them cannot bat - certainly not as well as they believe they can and definitely not good enough to score runs consistently at the first-class level.
On their day, however, Jamaica's batsmen are good enough for a flash of brilliance, and in their bid to finish in the top four, to retain the Challenge Shield, hopefully their day will be against Guyana.
