WI Domestic: It's No walkover for Barbados

Roseau - For several seasons, the Windward Islands have been regarded as the 'whipping boys' of regional cricket. Not so this year, however. And if Barbados usually approached any contest against the islanders with a view that 16 points were there for the taking, they had better think again.

The reason: the Windwards have played just as good as any side this season and it is reflected in their joint second place in the points standings. It therefore means that the fourth Busta Cup match between Barbados and the Windwards, starting here today at the scenic Botanical Gardens, is of vital importance as the battle for semifinal places intensifies.

I have never ever taken any team as a walkover, Barbados manager Tony Howard said yesterday. The Windwards have always played us hard and we are going to be taking them very seriously. We don't want to be drawn into a sense of insecurity.

Any team could be forgiven if they were complacent against the Windwards. After all, their record, especially throughout the 1990s, was abysmally disappointing.

Cellar position

In the period from 1990 to 1999, they finished bottom of the table on seven occasions and could manage only five wins against 36 defeats in 56 matches.

It's very rare for the Windwards to begin a match ahead of Barbados in the points table. It's a reality this time around, even if the men from Dominica, Grenada and St. Vincent lead the defending champions by four points.

Jamaica got the better of them in a drawn first-round match, but they then outplayed Trinidad and Tobago and the Leeward Islands in matches in which they collected first innings points.

Match details

The teams (from):

Barbados - Philo Wallace (captain), Sherwin Campbell, Adrian Griffith, Floyd Reifer, Roland Holder, Courtney Browne, Ryan Hurley, Hendy Bryan, Dave Marshall, Dayne Maynard, Pedro Collins, Sulieman Benn, Patterson Thompson.

Windward Islands - Rawl Lewis (captain), Devon Smith, Kester Sylvester, Reynold McLean, Junior Murray, Roy Marshall, Balty Watt, Dennison Thomas, Nixon McLean, McNeil Morgan, Cameron Cuffy, Wayne Phillip, Tibbles Moore.