Tony Becca, Contributing Editor

THE AUSTRALIANS, un-disputed world champions of cricket, open their 10th tour of the West Indies in 53 years when they take on a Jamaica X1 in a three-day warm-up match at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium starting this morning at 10:00.

Champions of the world since beating the West Indies at Sabina Park to win the 1995 series 2-1, Australia are strong, very strong.

With the likes of batsmen Chris Gayle and Wavell Hinds, Brendan Nash, Danza Hyatt and Tamar Lambert, bowlers Jerome Taylor, Daren Powell and Odean Brown absent from the local team for one reason or another, with Marlon Samuels under suspension by the International Cricket Council, this Jamaica line-up is not expected to give them a run for their money.

Victory, however, is of little importance to either team. For Australia, the important thing is to get in some practice in West Indian conditions and on a West Indian pitch.

For Jamaica, it is an opportunity for a player or two to catch the eyes of the Jamaican selectors for future reference and, with at least one batting place available, probably even the eyes of the West Indies selectors for immediate consideration.

Warm-up for big contest

For the local fans, therefore, the interest will be to see the Australian big bats and their ace bowlers warm-up for the first Test starting at Sabina Park on Thursday. To see the likes of captain Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden, Phil Jaques, Michael Hussey and Andrew Symonds stroking the ball in an effort to find their best form for the Test match.

For electric pacer Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and left-arm pacer Mitchell Johnson, plus legspinner Stuart MacGill, to try to find their line and length for the big contest.

For the local players, however, for captain and batsman Brenton Parchment (who is in the West Indies squad, but in the match following a request by the West Indies selectors), for batsman Xavier Marshall (who is hunting a return to the Windies squad), for wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh Jr (who is now on the outside looking in) and for left-arm spinner Nikita Miller (who many believe is unfortunate not to be already in), this is the chance of a lifetime.

An outstanding performance by any of them against the men with the baggy green caps, certainly by Parchment, Marshall and Miller, could see them hopping into the West Indies team.

Press claims for places

For others, like batsmen Simon Jackson, Shawn Findlay and Shacoya Thomas, pace bowler Andre Russell, legspinner Gavin Wallace and, if he plays, left-arm spinner Andre Dwyer, it is an opportunity to press their claims for a place in the Jamaica team.

In the first match between Jamaica and Australia at Mel-bourne Park in 1955, a young Jamaican, O'Neil Gordon 'Collie' Smith, used the opportunity to parade his class and went on to leave his mark on West Indian cricket.

In that match, Australia batted first, they scored 453, and Jamaica were sliding at 81 for five before Collie, with help from wicketkeeper Allie Binns who scored 151, stepped in, blasted 169, and lifted Jamaica to 474.

In the match after that, in the first Test at Sabina Park, Smith, on his Test debut at age 21, scored 44 in the first innings batting at number seven and 104 in the second innings batting at number three.

Don't miss our Test series preview in tomorrow's Gleaner.