Barbados' Tino Best fires warning at Jamaica

Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

Sidelined West Indies and Barbados fast bowler Tino Best says it would be foolhardy for Jamaica's batsmen to go at him during this weekend's second round of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional Four-day Tournament encounter at Sabina Park.

Best who, along with Fidel Edwards and Kemar Roach, is expected to spearhead the visitors' bowling attack, made the disclosure yesterday following their team's arrival for the contest.

The match is slated to bowl off on Friday.

"I plan to go into the game doing the same thing that I have been doing going into games for the past 10 seasons, trying to bowl at pace and hit the right line and length," said Best, who two seasons ago guided his team to the Regional Super50 title at the same venue.

"If they come at me they know what they are going to get, so they need to come and play me with respect, the same way I respect them as players and their talent," he declared.

Joint leaders

Jamaica will enter the match as joint leaders alongside Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, each chalking up swift victories inside three days in the opening round.

Jamaica registered an 81-run win over the Windwards, finishing with a day to spare at Sabina Park.

However, they will be without the lone first round centurion Chris Gayle, who along with other top players Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels and Jerome Taylor will be participating in the inaugural Bangladesh Premier League, which is slated to start on Friday.

In their absence the core of the team's batting is expected be centred around Brendan Nash, Tamar Lambert, Danza Hyatt, Carlton Baugh Jr and David Bernard Jr.

Barbados, on the other hand, will enter the game seeking a winning start, having drawn a bye in the first round.

In addition to their pacers, Barbados will look to spinner Sulieman Benn, and in their batting, new captain Kirk Edwards, Kraigg Brathwaite and Ryan Hinds.

A challenge

"It's always a challenge coming to Jamaica to face Jamaica," said Edwards.

"We know Jamaica are playing good cricket and won their first-round match, but we are not going to play it up much in our minds," said Best.

"We're a good team with a nice balance of youth and experience and players who want to either get a place in the West Indies team or get the attention of the selectors.

"So once we play for and support each other I am confident that we can get a positive result for the encounter," said Edwards.

SQUAD: Kirk Edwards (captain), Sulieman Benn, Tino Best, Kraigg Brathwaite, Jonathan Carter, Shane Dowrich, Ryan Hinds, Kyle Hope, Christopher Jordan, Omar Phillips, Fidel Edwards, Kemar Roach, Kenroy Williams.