Red Stripe Bowl: Barbados Facing Leewards With Positive Attitude (8 October 1998)

8 October 1998

Red Stripe Bowl: Barbados Facing Leewards With Positive Attitude

by Haydn Gill

The statistical evidence against them is not encouraging, but Barbados are approaching their opening Red Stripe Bowl match today with the type of confidence that typifies a positive attitude.

Their opponents are defending champions Leeward Islands, a team which Barbados have not beaten in the shortened version of the game since 1994 and a team which boasts of four regional titles in the last six regional limited-overs competitions.

The Leewards also enjoyed the satisfaction of starting the tournament with a massive victory by 242 runs over first-timers United States in a match that produced regional limited-overs cricket's biggest margin of victory and a record partnership.

The figures are enough to prompt a close look, but the Leewards' outstanding records do not worry Barbados manager Tony Howard.

"They are no real concern. As far as I am concerned, what is done is done. It is only the day that matters," Howard told NATIONSPORT yesterday afternoon after a slight drizzle cut short their practice session at the Kensington Cricket Club.

"We've got to go out there and be the better team on the day and the guys are all in a confident mood."

Today's match is being played at the Alpart ground in a bauxite mining area about 60 miles outside of Kingston and Howard was speaking before his team made the two-hour trip to the central parish of Mandeville.

The ground is unknown to both teams and last season's match between Jamaica and Bermuda which produced an all-out total of 88 by the rookies is no clear indication of what to expect.

Barbados arrived here Monday afternoon and they have had three practice sessions with a view of trying to find the right balance in the absence of three fast bowling all-rounders who took part in the recent Commonwealth Games.

"The guys are trying to get the one-day variety of the game as best as we can. We gave the bowlers a good run. We've lost three of our bowlers from the last series that we had - so we're trying to get the right mix for the bowling, staff," Howard said.

"Everybody is in good nick. Everybody is working hard. The biggest job ahead of us is to get the right eleven."

Ricky Hoyte is almost certain to be left out and it appears that four players - Ryan Hinds, Antonio Mayers, Pedro Collins Patterson Thompson - are vying for two the last two places.

Of late, knowledgeable observers have been saying that a lot depends on Barbados' batting, whose top six have all played at the Test level. It's a view which is also shared by Howard.

"A lot always depends on the batting in a one-day game. Our batting has to give us good scores for the bowlers to work with. The batting worked well in Malaysia and it is important that it works well here. I don't see a problem with that," he said.

The Leewards also present a formidable batting line-up which is so deep that Ridley Jacobs, his ability as a quick scorer well known, was down to come in as low as No. 7 in Tuesday's match against the United States.

Jacobs, who averages over 40 in first-class cricket, was not required after a record partnership between skipper Stuart Williams and 25-year-old debutant Wilden Cornwall who smacked a chancy 126.

It has taken Cornwall some time to get into the senior team following his MVP performance in the 1989 Nortel youth championship.

Another first-timer also featured prominently for the Leewards. Anthony Lake, a youth teammate of Cornwall, took five wickets with his off-breaks.

Barbados: Philo Wallace (captain), Sherwin Campbell, Adrian Griffith, Floyd Reifer, Roland Holder, Ryan Hinds, Courtney Browne, Hendy Bryan, Winston Reid, Pedro Collins, Patterson Thompson, Antonio Mayers, Ricky Hoyte.

Leeward Islands: Stuart Williams (captain), Wilden Cornwall, Keith Arthurton, Sylvester Joseph, Dave Joseph, Runako Morton, Ridley Jacobs, Carl Tuckett, Hamesh Anthony, Anthony Lake, Curtly Ambrose, Kenny Benjamin, Alex Adams.

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