LONG-TIME captain Tamar Lambert could be leading the Jamaica cricket team for the last time when they clash with Barbados Pride in the final-round Professional Cricket League (PCL) four-day match, starting 10:00 am this morning at Sabina Park.

The 34-year-old Lambert, who made his first-class debut in 2004, has led Jamaica with outstanding success over a number of years, but this season has seen the Franchise embarrassingly lose five straight games — the most recent of which came against lowly Leeward Islands Hurricanes last weekend in St Kitts.

Jamaica, the most dominant side in four-day cricket over the last decade, remain in fourth place on 68 points, while Barbados Pride, who won the two previous titles, are second with 108 points.

Lambert’s last swan song aside, the build-up to the game also features talk that former Jamaica and West Indies youth Captain Ramaal Lewis is likely to play his first four-day game for the Jamaica senior team.

Lewis, who showed fantastic form with both bat and ball in blasting a quick-fire century and grabbing 11 wickets to propel St Elizabeth Technical High School to another schoolboy cricket title recently, is drafted into the Jamaica squad for experienced leg-spinner Odean Brown.

Top-order batsman Jon-Ross Campbell also enters the 13-man set up at the expense of Shacaya Thomas.

Lewis, a wily off-spin bowler and a usually aggressive middle-order batsman, expressed pleasure at being called to the senior squad.

“I feel very good about this call-up, and I was hoping for it because the last couple of games I did well [in schoolboy cricket],” 18-year-old told the Jamaica Observer.

Barbados, trailing leaders Guyana Jaguars, who are in an unassailable position on 130 points, have brought in all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite and left-handed batsman Omar Phillips for the injured duo of Tino Best and Kyle Corbin.

The game between the teams in Barbados earlier this season was drawn after rain wreaked havoc. Though the Pride are away from home, their strong form makes them favourites to win for a sixth time this campaign.

Despite the hopeless case of catching Guyana, the Barbados coach Henderson Springer said his team will approach the encounter with every intent of winning.

“I think this game is as important as every game we have played so far,” he said after a practice session at Sabina Park yesterday.

Jamaica’s coach Junior Bennett said pride remains at stake.

“It’s the last game, but it’s still the first-class season and this is a game we want to win,” Bennett said.

Squads:

Jamaica — Tamar Lambert (capt), John Campbell, Jon-Ross Campbell, Jermaine Blackwood, Chadwick Walton, Brandon King, David Bernard, Ramaal Lewis, Jason Dawes, Damion Jacobs, Marquino Mindley, Cassius Burton, Gavon Brown

Barbados — Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), Carlos Brathwaite, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Shane Dowrich, Kirk Edwards, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope, Ashley Nurse, Omar Phillips, Kevin Stoute, Jomel Warrican, Shamarh Brooks

— Sanjay Myers