Defending champions Jamaica will find a new gear in their preparations for the 2010 regional first-class season, with tomorrow’s start at Up Park Camp of the first of three four-day trial matches.

The 24-man squad, which has been together since last Monday for physical evaluation and net sessions will be cut to 18 at the end of the third trial game in early December.

As the plan now stands, the squad will be reduced to 13 following a three-day match in late December ahead of their opening game in early January. There are reports that the tournament will be shortened from the home-and-away format of last season which required each regional team to play 12 games over three months.

But noting that superior fitness was a key element in Jamaica’s success last season, Bennett told the Sunday Observer his squad would be preparing as they had done last year for a tough, hard tournament.

“Fitness worked for us last time out and we will be seeking to repeat,” said Bennett.

In that respect, much attention will be focused on Tamar Lambert, last season’s spectacularly successful captain who was controversially axed for the One-Day tourney in Guyana in October following an assessment that he was overweight and unfit.

Bennett believes Lambert, who is expected to be among the captains in the trial games, has learnt from that experience and will be fit for the start of the new season.

“His (physical) condition looks much better (and) he’s been doing a lot of work. There’s a programme that he has received from the physical trainer (David Bernard Snr) and he has been working… so I think everything will be okay with Lambert,” said Bennett.

With West Indies captain Chris Gayle and middle-order batsman Brendan Nash expected to be only available for part of the season because of international duties, Lambert – who was the top Jamaican run scorer last year – will again be expected to be among the runs.

Former West Indies batsman Wavell Hinds, now 33 and released from his professional contract in England, may well want another chance to prove himself at the highest level. David Bernard Jnr, who promised much without carrying on as a batsman in the make-shift West Indies side against Bangladesh in mid-year, along with Brenton Parchment, Donovan Pagon and Xavier Marshall, will also be seeking to stake their claim for a return to the West Indies set-up.

Shawn Findlay, who had an unsuccessful limited-overs run with the regional side two seasons ago; Danza Hyatt, Donovan Sinclair – who also bowls useful leg spin – and young batsmen Horace Miller, Zeniffe Fowler, John Ross Campbell will also be in the mix during the Trials.

Carlton Baugh’s success with the bat in the last five matches of last season – he scored 484 runs at 60.50 to top the Jamaica batting averages – means his spot as Jamaica’s number one wicketkeeper is again beyond doubt. Keith Hibbert, Baugh’s rival for several years, has been left out of the 24-man squad.

The selectors, with the future in mind, have opted for the 19-year-old former National U-19 Maverick Perry as the second ‘keeper in the squad.

West Indies fast bowler Daren Powell, who has taken up a Kolpak contract in England, and Andrew Richardson, are the senior fast bowlers. But during the trials the progress of exciting youngsters Jason Dawes, Andre Russell and the tall Ricardo Dacres will be closely watched.

Much will be expected of Dacres, who has returned to fitness following worrying injuries earlier this year.

“He is back to full fitness and bowling extremely well and with some pace,” said Bennett. “Last year he did well in the Trials, so we are hoping he can take it on from there. He looks the part and is someone I think we need to encourage. He has pace and is a tall fellow.,” the coach added.

Jamaica training squad – Tamar Lambert, Odean Brown, David Bernard Jnr, Bevon Brown, Danza Hyatt, Jason Dawes, Zeniffe Fowler, Nikita Miller, Donovan Pagon, Krishmar Santokie, Shawn Findlay, Andrew Richardson, Carlton Baugh Jnr, Andre Russell, Horace Miller, Daren Powell, Xavier Marshall, Donovan Sinclair, Wavell Hinds, Ricardo Dacres, John-Ross Campbell, Maverick Perry, Brenton Parchment, Andre Dwyer.