HindsTony Becca, Contributing Editor
THE 10th and final round of the league section of the regional Carib Beer cricket series gets going today with Guyana hosting the Leeward Islands at Hampton Court, Trinidad and Tobago at home to Barbados at Queen's Park Oval, and Jamaica hosting the Windward Islands at Alpart.
With Jamaica on 83 points, boasting an unassailable lead, and already the declared winners of the Carib Beer League, with the top teams to meet in a five-day Challenge match for a winner's prize of US$5,000, the interest, however, is not on who will be crowned champions of the West Indies.
SECOND-PLACE FINISH
For the first time in a long time, the interest is on which team which of the Leeward Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, the Windward Islands and Barbados will finish second.
In fact, with Barbados in the cellar on 23 points, with the Windward Island just above them on 44, the battle for the runners-up spot is really between the Leeward Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana.
While it is possible that the Windward Islands could finish on 56 points if they defeat Jamaica, they still cannot finish in second place not with Guyana, 47 points, playing the Leeward Islands who are 55 points, and not with Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) on 54 points and up against Barbados.
Although they are eight points behind the Leeward Islands and seven behind T & T, Guyana could crash the party if they defeat the Leeward Islands and if Barbados defeat Trinidad and Tobago. Regardless of the results of their matches, however, neither the Windward Islands nor Barbados have a chance of doing so.
With Jamaica, already winners of the league, with the Windward Islands out of contention for the other place in the Challenge match, today's encounter will be of little interest as far as points are concerned.
As manager Maurice Clarke has said, however, it is a first-class cricket match, and remembering the close contest when the two teams met earlier in the season, remembering the many nail-biting finishes of the past, it could once again be close even though the Windward Islands are weakened by the absence of batsman Craig Emmanuel and pace bowler Kenroy Peters due to injury; even though Jamaica are now stronger in batting; and also, with the title in the bag, more relaxed.
The odds, however, are on Jamaica to win - and comfortably at that.
JAMAICA'S STARTING ELEVEN
One thing is almost certain with batsmen like Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Marlon Samuels, Tamar Lambert, Donovan Pagon, Carlton Baugh Jr., David Bernard Jr., and possibly Xavier Marshall on one side, with the likes of Devon Smith, Junior Murray and Linden James on the other, with bowlers like pacers Daren Powell and Jerome Taylor, spinners Nikita Miller, Odean Brown and Gareth Breese on one side, pacers Deighton Butler and Fernix Thomas, spinners Rawl Lewis, Shane Shillingford and Olanzo Jackson plus medium-pacer Darren Sammy on the other, it should be cricket, lovely cricket especially when the batsmen of Jamaica take on the bowlers of the Windward Islands on a pitch that was lovely for batting when Jamaica defeated Trinidad and Tobago in round five.
For local fans, the main interest is who will be in the Jamaica 11, and although the selectors could retain the team that piled up 522 for nine declared while defeating Barbados by 245 runs at Chedwin Park a few days ago, they could, with the Challenge match to come next weekend, decide to rest a few players.
The indications up to yesterday were that Marshall would still be out, that either batsman Pagon or all-rounder Bernard could be rested, and that left-arm spinner Miller could return to a Jamaica team that, for the first time in a long time, will parade three specialist spin bowlers.
The Jamaica 11 could, therefore, be Hinds, Gayle, Pagon or Bernard, Samuels, Lambert, Baugh, Breese, Powell, Miller, Taylor, and Odean Brown.
