West Indies Domestic: Bradshaw, Benn left out

Kingston - Barbados' cricket selectors last night omitted Ian Bradshaw and Sulieman Benn from their squad of 13 for the key third-round Busta Cup match against Jamaica starting at Sabina Park today.

Captain Philo Wallace is likely to go in first with Sherwin Campbell, while Adrian Griffith will bat at No. 3 in spite of his success as an opener on the recent ill-starred tour of New Zealand.

Chairman of selectors Desmond Haynes, in Jamaica following a Barbados Cricket Association decision to send a member of the panel to every overseas match, and his fellow tour selectors must have thought long and hard before choosing Bradshaw and Benn as reserves.

Bradshaw could count himself unlucky after commendable performances in the first two matches in which he made crucial lower-order runs and also collected six wickets.

This match features the reigning first-class champions and current front-runners up against the hosts and current regional One-Day titlists.

Barbados head the points standings with 16 points after two matches in which they collected first innings lead and Jamaica are one of four teams closely following on 12 points.

The return of those West Indies players who toured New Zealand has boosted both sides and when the teams take the field today, as many as 17 players with international experience will be in the middle.

'You can put this match in the context of being a 'mini Test', but we know what we are about,' Wallace said.

'This is a very important match. If we can get a good result here and break away from the pack, that would be very good.

'We know Jamaica are a young, competitive side with budding cricketers, but we're looking to overcome the powers of the Jamaica side.'

Wallace's counterpart, Jimmy Adams, one of nine Jamaicans to have played Tests or One-Day Internationals, also stressed the significance of the match.

'It is a very important game for both teams. We obviously would like full points and that is our main purpose for turning up over the next four days,' the West Indies vice-captain said.

Adams was not bothered by the fact that Jamaica have been forced to make six changes from the team that played in the first two matches.

'That's the price you pay for type of success we've had in getting people in any international team.

'I'd rather be in that position than anybody else's,' he said in reference to the inclusion of those returning from New Zealand: himself, Courtney Walsh, Wavell Hinds, Ricardo Powell, Nehemiah Perry and Franklyn Rose.

Those six, along with Campbell, Griffith and Pedro Collins, arrived in Jamaica yesterday following a session with members of the West Indies Cricket Board in Barbados the previous day.

The bulk of the Barbados team came in on Wednesday and practised at Sabina Park yesterday morning, but returned for another session at the Melbourne ground in the evening, mainly for the benefit of the West Indies trio.