Jamaicans off to St Kitts for opening four-day fixture

Saturday, November 21, 2009 11:30 PM

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BY Garfield Myers Editor-at-Large South-Central Bureau

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

There is no specialist off-spinner and a last-minute change has cut the squad from 14 to 13, but coach Junior Bennett is confident Jamaica will provide "good, all round" cricket in three away games in the eastern Caribbean over the next three weeks.

"We believe we have good all-round strength and that we have the capacity to deal with any challenges," Bennett told the Observer prior to yesterday's departure for the opening game of this year's four-day regional tournament against the Leeward Islands in St Kitts, starting Friday.

CA president, Paul Campbell (left), shakes hands with Jamaica skipper, Tamar Lambert, at Sabina Park as the team prepared to depart for the Norman Manley International Airport en route to St Kitts yesterday for their opening four-day contest against the Leeward Islands, starting on Friday. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)

Jamaica are the defending champions in what is this season an extended tournament lasting 14 weeks, embracing home and away games. Unlike previous years', the competition is not sponsored following the withdrawal of the Trinidad & Tobago brewers, Carib Beer.

From St Kitts, the Jamaica squad will travel to Port of Spain to meet limited-overs champions Trinidad & Tobago at Queen's Park Oval and then to Barbados to take on the Combined Campuses and Colleges.

The Tamar Lambert-led team will return home to round off the month of January with a clash against Barbados at the Trelawny Stadium.

West Indies players currently on tour of New Zealand will be home in time for the third round of games, but in the case of Jamaica, are unlikely to be called on until the fourth-round.

That fourth round contest against Barbados in Trelawny will end just two days before the start of the first Test against the touring England team at Sabina Park, starting on February 4.

The regional contest will coincide with the English tour.

Yesterday, Bennett declined to comment directly on the late decision to cut batsman Lorenzo Ingram from the squad which left in early afternoon.

"The whole situation is just unfortunate, but we just have to make do," he said.

Meanwhile, authoritative cricket watchers have argued over recent days that the squad, which includes two specialist wrist-spinners in Odean Brown and Gavin Wallace, lack balance because of the absence of a specialist off-spinner, preferably Bevon Brown. But Bennett sought to deflect that criticism.

'We are confident that we have selected the best available team and we have confidence in the spinners in the squad. Also, skipper Lambert has done well with his off-breaks at this level," he said.

The squad also includes three fast bowlers in the experienced West Indies 'A' representative, Andrew Richardson, as well as the youthful pair of Andre Russell - who made his first-class debut last year - and the uncapped West Indies Under-19 representative, Jason Dawes. All-rounder David Bernard will provide back-up with his medium pace.
Bennett refused to be drawn on the possible make-up of his bowling attack ahead of the opening game.
"We have to see the conditions in St Kitts before any such decision can be made," he said.

It seems certain, though, that the promising teenager and West Indies Under-19 opener, Horace Miller, will sit out the opening match.

If that is the case, the top seven in the batting order against the Leeward Islands should read: Brenton Parchment, Danza Hyatt, Donovan Pagon, Wavell Hinds, Tamar Lambert, David Bernard and wicketkeeper Keith Hibbert.

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