KINGSTON – Defending champions Jamaica will be two of the teams looking to secure their second straight victory when they face Barbados in the second round of the 2012 Regional Four-Day Tournament at Sabina Park, starting today.
Jamaica are coming off an 81-run victory over the Windwards and will be looking to follow up against the Barbadians.
The visitors will be playing their first match in the tournament and may be a little rusty, particularly with a few new faces giving them a boost.
Omar Phillips, the former CCC captain, is expected to make his Barbados debut and open the batting with West Indies opener Kraigg Brathwaite.
Fast bowler Chris Jordan, who has played all of his first-class matches for Surrey in the English County Championship, is also likely to make the final cut and enhance the Barbadian attack and lower-order batting.
Jamaica will be without estranged West Indies opener Chris Gayle, whose hundred in the first match put them in an impregnable position, and all-rounder Andre Russell, both off to the Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20.
West Indies batsman Danza Hyatt, dropped for the first game, and left-arm fast bowler Sheldon Cotterrell are two more than capable replacements, who will not compromise Jamaica’s strength.
Neither side has a superior record over the other in recent matches, but the Jamaicans have dominated the matches on home soil, winning four of six. (CMC)
