USA start as favourites

John Davison: leading Canada in only their second first-class match © Getty Images

This weekend Canada will play their sixth first-class cricket match, fifty years after their fifth. In 1951 the MCC toured North America, and a team including Test players Walter Robins and J.J. Warr defeated Canada by an innings in a three-day match, classified as first-class. In 1954 a Canadian squad toured the UK, and were outclassed in four three-day fixtures against county opposition.

This weekend's match in Florida is part of the Intercontinental Cup, a new initiative by the International Cricket Council. This aims to give countries below full member status experience and exposure to the longer form of the game. It also marks another encounter in the oldest regularly played international sporting encounter in the world the first USA-Canada cricket match took place in 1844, and although not played annually, it has taken place regularly ever since. Since 1963 the two countries have competed for the KA Auty trophy but in recent years finances and scheduling have combined to make this a comparatively rare event.

The USA team comes fresh from their triumph at the 6-Nations trophy where they established themselves at the top of the Associate nations a huge improvement from their failure to qualify for the World Cup at the ICC Trophy in Toronto in 2001. They now look forward to the ICC Champions trophy in England in September.

For Canada, in contrast, it has been all downhill since the 2003 World Cup. Canada performed poorly in the Red Stripe Bowl in 2003 (the West Indies domestic one-day competition), and failed to win a match at the 6-Nations. Key players have retirednotably captain Joe Harris and opening bowler Davis Joseph. Their problems have been compounded by the scheduling of this match. The Canadian Cricket Association twice requested a postponement of this match - given the Canadian weather, there has been little opportunity for practice, and almost no chance to evaluate players for selection. Their request was refused and so the Canadian selectors hastily assembled a squad to travel south.

The team consists of a mix of experience, youth and some new faces. The Western Trials, held in Vancouver in April yielded three newcomers. Hani Dhillon, a middle order bat, plays in Vancouver and had a promising career in India before emigrating. He represented India under19s, and Delhi in the Ranji Trophy. He is joined by two players from the Calgary leagues, Manzoor Chaudhary, another middle order bat; and Easan Sinnanthamby, a fast-medium bowler, called in as a late replacement for Austin Codrington. Kevin Sandher, who is maturing into a top-class spinner, completes a strong western Canadian contingent.

The team will rely heavily on the seasoned campaigners from the Antipodes, Davison and Billcliff (both also technically westerners being British Columbia born). Thus for the first time in many years, the squad is almost equally balanced between western and eastern Canada.

John Davison, Canada's World Cup hero is the new captain. Many observers of Canadian cricket were surprised to see Davison back in the national team; he had not appeared for Canada since the World Cup, concentrating on his career with South Australia. Comments made to the Australian media suggested he was less than happy with the team's management in South Africa. Perhaps his change of mind was due to a lack of offers from English counties, or the change in administration at the Canadian Cricket Association. His captaincy is unproven but he brings a wealth of experience to the Canadian side.

Ian Billcliff has also not played for Canada since the World Cup, but returns to the side for this match; his first-class career appears to be over but he continues to play for Cornwall in the very competitive Auckland league in New Zealand.

Further first-class experience comes from Sunil Dharinam who had a brief career with Guyana in the early 90s, making a first-class century in the Demera-Berbice match. He performed well in the 6-Nations tournament in the UAE and also may be asked to bowl. A late addition to the squad is another former Guyana player, Nick de Groot. He had a dismal World Cup, and again it is somewhat surprising to see him returning to the Canadian squad after missing the Red Stripe and 6-Nations tournaments.

Since the 2001 ICC Trophy, the Canadian batting has managed to pass 200 just once in 24 one-day matches spread over two Red Stripe Cups, two 6-Nations challenges and the World Cup. The sole occasion on which they passed that score was against the West Indies, led by John Davison's memorable hundred. Although one-day cricket is by no means an accurate guide to the longer form of the game, this does cast serious doubt on the Canadian's batting and the ability to build a substantial innings. Billcliff, Dharinam and de Groot will hope for support from Bagai, whose batting well suits 3-day cricket, and whose wicket-keeping is top-class. Zubin Surkari may also get a chance a promising young bat, and exciting fielder.

The bowling will be equally problematic. Patel has performed well and shows promise as a strike bowler, but the late withdrawals of Codrington and Maxwell leaves the team short of pace bowling. It seems likely that Sinnanthamby must play, as there are no other obvious candidates to open the bowling. Davidson must expect to bowl a lot of overs, and with Sandher, Canada will rely heavily on spin, plus the part-time bowling of de Groot, Billcliff and Dhaniram.

On paper, Canada look outmatched. The combined first-class experience in the Canadian squad approximately equals that of Clayton Lambert - 118 first-class matches (average 43.6, highest score 262, 11 centuries) and five Tests. Lambert is in his 40s now, but averaged over 100 in the 6-Nations, and the Canadians have no bowlers of genuine pace to test aging reflexes. The American captain, Richard Staple also played first-class cricket, for Jamaica, and has led the side recently with skill and imagination. The squad is unchanged from the 6-Nations, and confidence will be high. The American bowling attack is varied, although also lacking pace, and perhaps not as strong as their batting.

The contest should be full of interest, and although the Americans must start favourites, both sides have little experience of three-day cricket. Perhaps the team that adapts best to this style of cricket, and to playing on a brand-new turf wicket will meet with success.