THREE straight. That’s what Jamaica’s cricketers are seeking when they face their first assignment in the WICB regional four-day cricket championship, which begins today with first-round action at three venues across the island.

In spite of the short-pitched approach by the regional administrators of cricket in slashing the domestic season from last year’s showpiece home-and-away format, the action promises to be exciting when home team Jamaica face the Windward Islands in the obvious match of the round at Chedwin Park in St Catherine, where a prompt 10:00 am start is anticipated.

Jamaica finished comfortable winners in last year’s tournament, and are expected to continue the trend this year, when there will be no return matches and six teams will play in one territory during each of the seven rounds.

The West Indies Cricket Board’s inability to attract sponsorship forced it to revert from last year’s successful series, to the counterproductive shortened season that has already earned the ire of leading regional cricket analysts and the West Indies Players’ Association.

Against the background of limited action this year, Jamaica’s captain Tamar Lambert and the Windward Islands’ team leader Darren Sammy know only too well that an outright victory is the only tonic that can keep the teams’ apparatus from collapsing later on.

“Our chances are good, we have a fully-balanced team and our preparations have gone well,” Lambert told the Observer yesterday.

“The pitch looks good and it will offer the fast bowlers something on the first day, but should flatten out from the second day. A lot of preparation has gone into it,” Lambert said of the pitch that he knows only too well at the home of his St Catherine Cricket Club.

Sammy confessed that he knew little of Chedwin Park, but would rely on the man he succeeded as captain, the experienced legspinning all-rounder Rawl Lewis, to give him advice.

“Rawl has played cricket there and he will give us information about it,” Sammy told the Observer Tuesday.

The 26-year-old West Indies allrounder said that the Windwards team was “very balanced” and should do well.

“So far the team has gelled well. We have a young team with a mixture of experience, and I am expecting full support from everyone,” he said.

Jamaica finished with a runaway 106 points last year, against 79 by runnersup the Windwards.

The teams defeated each other once during the year, but Lambert believes that a first-round victory will be crucial.

“They beat us here last year and we beat them in the Windwards, but I am backing my team to win this time.

“Our strength is in our bowling and we expect the spinners to continue that trend,” Lambert said.

Jamaica will likely display a batting line-up of Xavier Marshall, Donovan Pagan, Brendan Nash, Wavel Hinds, and David Bernard Jnr, all with West Indies experience, as well as Lambert and hard-hitting wicketkeeper/batsman Carlton Baugh Jnr.

Lambert will be relying heavily on left-arm orthodox spinner Nikita Miller and wrist-spinner Odean Brown to get the bulk of the wickets, with pacer Andrew Richardson bowling the new ball.

The Jamaica selectors will choose between pacer Jason Dawes and Shawn Findlay. The latter bowled effective medium pacers in the trial matches and is an established batsman.

Dawes will get the edge to share the new ball with Richardson if the selectors are convinced that the pitch will suit fast bowling.

Sammy’s trump card is offspinner Shane Shillingford who has apparently shaken off a kink in his bowling action to present himself as one of the region’s most productive turners of the leather.

Pacer Nelon Pascal and Sammy with his skidding deliveries could also cause Jamaica some anxious moments, but it is the Windwards’ batting that may force the Jamaicans to scratch their heads at times.

Left-handed West Indies opener Devon Smith and fellow frontline batsman Andre Fletcher could tear into any bowling attack without warning.

Liam Sebastien, also a competent slow bowler, Sammy and Lewis are also capable of using the willow to cause heavy casualty on the field.

Squads:

Jamaica — Tamar Lambert (captain), Xavier Marshall, Donovan Pagan, Shawn Findlay, Brendan Nash, Brenton Parchment, Wavel Hinds, David Bernard Jnr, Carlton Baugh Jnr, Nikita Miller, Odean Brown, Andrew Richardson, Jason Dawes.

Windward Islands — Darren Sammy (captain), Devon Smith, Tyrone Theophille, Andre Fletcher, Donwell Hector, Keddy Lesporis, Liam Sebastien, Rawl Lewis, Lyndon James, Kenroy Peters, Shane Shillingford, Deighton Butler, Nelon Pascal.