Nortel Championship: Bajans eye semifinal (22 July 1999)

22 July 1999

Nortel Championship: Bajans eye semifinal

The Barbados Nation

Joint leaders Barbados and Guyana will clash head-to-head to decide the winner of Zone B in the final preliminary round of the Nortel Networks Under-19 Tournament which begins today.

Both teams are tied on 24 points after one win and a draw each but neither can afford to be complacent and slip up in their match at Queen's Park.

Barbados manager Darnley Boxill left no doubt that his side was seeking an outright victory and a semifinal place.

"The confidence is good," he said. "We can win the match against Guyana, who are not going to be an easy team, but I think we can get the better of them.

He said that Barbados defeated Guyana in the limited-overs game last year and they had the ammunition to do it again.

Saying that he was pleased with the way the team had performed so far, Boxill noted that some time was lost due to rain and the poor covering of the pitch in the last match against the Nortel XI.

The team was also hit by some injuries and at least one player will miss the match.

All-rounder Ryan Austin fractured his right thumb and will return to the doctor tomorrow. Rohan Nurse or Dwayne Smith could replace him.

Jedson Yarde is recovering from a chest infection and Damien Maynard from a hand injury but both should play.

"We know this should be our hardest match and we are confident of doing well. I feel if we beat the home team it could lift the entire team for the rest of the tournament."

The winless Nortel Development XI and the Windward Islands meet at the Wanderers ground in the other Group B match.

The Windwards have lost both their matches so far and are out of contention, but the Nortel XI, on eight points after conceding first innings lead to both Guyana and Barbados, have an outside chance of qualifying.

The Nortel XI must defeat the Windwards and hope that the game between Guyana and Barbados ends in an outright victory for one of the teams.

Should this happen, the Nortel XI and the losing team will both finish on 24 points with one victory each and the tie-breaker rules would come into play.

In Zone A, Trinidad and Tobago and the Leeward Islands, joint leaders with 20 points, four more than third-placed Jamaica, will be seeking first innings honours or a victory in their clash at the BET ground to secure a semifinal spot.

Jamaica are expected to defeat Canada.

Source :: The Barbados Nation (https://www.nationnews.com/)