KINGSTON: Fast bowling is expected to play a pivotal role in the second and final cricket Test between the West Indies and Sri Lanka starting today at Sabina Park. And the selection panel, headed by Sir Vivian Richards, have included 21-year-old Barbadian pacer Fidel Edwards in the final eleven in place of the inconsistent Mervyn Dillon while another Trinidadian Daren Ganga makes way for Bajan Vasbert Drakes in a four-pronged pace attack.

The brief, two-match series is level 0-0 following the rain-plagued match that ended in a draw in St Lucia on Tuesday. Batsmen dominated there on a placid pitch when play was possible. West Indies skipper Brian Lara cracked a memorable 209 to follow three-figure scores from left-handed mate Wavell Hinds and Sri Lankan opener Marvan Atapattu. But the pitch at Sabina Park showed a generous covering of grass, and both sides may boost their pace resources. West Indies coach Gus Logie admitted that it was a surface which should encourage the faster bowlers. “There is definitely more grass on the pitch than in any of the previous Tests this season and there seems to be some moisture as well,” said Logie, a former Test batsman of the 1980s. “Looking at it, the faster bowlers should enjoy bowling on it,” Logie added. “But they still have to bowl well and be backed up in the field.” “The pressure will be on both teams as it is one match which is going to decide the series,” Logie said.

The 42-year-old revealed that one of his squad’s team-building practices was getting players to come up with quotes to help with motivation. “We finished on a high with our victory over Australia in the final Test in Antigua and had the better of the first Test in this series,” he said. “So this match, we are using a quote which we got from Dillon: ‘When you’re ahead, stay ahead.”’ Edwards has not played first-class cricket this year and has represented Barbados just once, in 2002. But Lara was impressed with the bowler’s sessions in the nets with the West Indies team during preparations for the Test against Australia in Barbados last May. Dillon’s 123 wickets in 34 Tests are more than 100 more than any other West Indian bowler but was dropped due to inconsistent returns. Barbadian Corey Collymore celebrated his return, after four years, with a five-wicket haul in St Lucia. Rookie Jerome Taylor, recently turned 19, will get his second chance in front of his Jamaican home crowd.

Drakes, one of only three over-30s in the squad, was dropped for the first Test but presents another, more experienced, option. Also retained in the final eleven is 20-year-old off-spinner Omari Banks, who earned just seven expensive wickets in three Tests, but his lower order batting has been impressive. The Anguillan scored an unbeaten, even maiden half century in St Lucia. Sri Lanka is expected to play three pacers, with 24-year-old Dharshana Gamage favored for his debut ahead of fellow rookie fast bowlers, left-armer Thilan Thushara and Dinusha Fernando. Gamage played in the preceding series of three one-day internationals but has yet to appear at Test level. He is likely to take the place of Thilan Samaraweera, the all-rounder who scored just 11 in St Lucia.

Umpires: Darrell Hair (Australia), Russell Tiffin (Zimbabwe).
Match referee: Wasim Raja (Pakistan).
Team: WEST INDIES: Brian Lara (capt), Ramnaresh Sarwan (vice-capt), Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Marlon Samuels, Ridley Jacobs, Omari Banks, Vasbert Drakes, Corey Collymore, Jerome Taylor, Fidel Edwards; 12th men – Daren Ganga, Mervyn Dillon, Devon Smith.

CASTRIES: Chairman of the West Indies selectors, Sir Vivian Richards has stoutly defended his panel’s decision to name relatively unknown Barbadian fast bowler Fidel Edwards in the West Indies squad for the second Test against Sri Lanka starting in Jamaica today.

Noting team selection is all about instincts, Richards pleaded with Caribbean cricket fans to trust the judgement of his fellow selectors, Joey Carew, Gordon Greenidge and West Indies captain Brian Lara. “I was very very impressed when I first saw him (Edwards) at the Academy in Grenada and there are a few people who did say a few things about him. There are a few scouts around who did say their little bits about that individual,” Richards said in a wide-ranging interview at the Beausejour Cricket Ground on Tuesday. “This is what selection is all about if we are looking to rebuild and maybe to move forward in future,” added Sir Vivian. Edwards, 21, a younger brother of discarded West Indies’ left-arm pacer Pedro Collins, has only played one first-class match but the “Master Blaster” recalled that former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop also came on the scene as a virtual unknown.

CARIFTA GAMES double gold-medallist Rhonda Watkins, Kelly-Ann Baptiste and Jamil James are the leading stars on the Trinidad and Tobago’s seven-member team for the Third IAAF World Under-18 Youth Championships, which will be staged in Sherbrooke, Canada from July 9 – 13.

Watkins emerged as TT’s shining star at the 2003 Carifta Games held at the Hasely Crawford Stadium over the Easter weekend. She won the Girls Under-17 long jump and high jump. And at the national senior championships held last weekend at the same venue, the talented teenager whipped her senior rivals and emerged as the new high jump champion by clearing a height of 1.76 metres. Baptiste and James also proved their worth at the just concluded senior championships. Baptiste picked up the senior 200-metre bronze medal with an improved time of 23.06 seconds while James produced a remarkable time of 46.68 secs in the seniors 400 metres, which was won by US-based Damion Barry (45.67 secs) and followed home by another US-based quarter miler Ato Modibo (45.97).

Baptiste, the Tobago-based Zenith Club runner will also compete in the 100 at the World Championships, which is held biennially for athletes between 15 and 17 years. World junior record holder Darrel Brown brought glory to the twin-island republic with the gold in the boys Under-18 100 metres at the last championships in Hungary. He has stepped up the ladder to the higher age group and has shown marked improvement. Team manager George Commissiong is looking forward to outstanding performances from all the young athletes and hopes that “Brown’s and Marc Burns magnificent performances at the high level World Junior Games will inspire the nation’s younger talents.”

Apart from Baptiste, James and Watkins who placed second in the long jump with a new personal best (5.97metres) at senior championships, 2003 Carifta Games high jump silver medallist Cory Gibbs will be given the chance to showcase his talent in Canada. He copped the gold medal at the Carifta Games (Bahamas) last year but faltered this year and had to settle for the silver. The newcomers to international competition are Marcus Duncan (100 metres and 200 metres), Monique Cabral (100 and 200) Abigail David (200 and 400) and Crystal Skeete (200 and 400). Commissiong disclosed that TT would enter the medley relay for girls with Baptiste, Cabral, Skeete and David doing the honours. Trevor James will serve as coach of the team with Althea George-Busby doubling up as assistant coach/chaperone.

CL FINANCIAL San Juan Jabloteh totally outclassed Caledonia AIA while South West Institute of Football beat Joe Public on merit and an 89th minute goal as first-leg action in this year’s First Citizens Bank Cup quarter-finals.

The action began at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, on Wednesday night. Jabloteh always looked the more comfortable of the teams and worked the field with their possession football while their defence kept Caledonia’s unimaginative forward line at bay. In the 36th minute however, it was a dubious penalty that gave Jabloteh the lead. National midfielder Otis Seaton took responsibility and spanked the ball to the right of the Caledonia goal past a diving Anthony Marshall.

Jabloteh seemed content with their lead and used their possession play to dominate the rest of the first half. The second half continued in the same vein as the first with Jabloteh seeing more of the ball and so dangerous in attack. But it was Caledonia that got the best chance for a goal when Ellis Dyet was played into the box by a clever flick, only for him to shoot well wide, summing up the evening that his team was having. 

Trent Noel sealed the win in the 78th minute with a determined solo run, winning the ball in midfield, shaking off his marker before placing a powerful shot into the top left corner out of the reach of Marshall in the Caledonia goal. The match featured contrasting styles of attack with the possession game beating the counter attack and was fairly physical with 44 fouls being committed, 19 by Jabloteh and 25 by Caledonia with  two yellow cards being shown, one a piece.

In other matches, W Connection edged defending champs Defence Force 2-1 with goals from George Isaacs in the 40th minute and Gefferson Goulart in the 53rd. Kurt Williams scored a consolation penalty in the 87th minute for the Army-Coast Guard men. Starworld Strikers recorded a 2-0 shut out over North East Stars with goals from Devon Bobb in the 47th minute and Kendal Velox in the 69th. And SWIF pipped Joe Public with  Marlon Lewis’ strike in the  89th minute.

COLONEL Sanders Under-13 cricket team of the South Zone won the Under-15 National KFC Cricket title this year.

They were presented with the Challenge Trophy at the Sir Frank Worrell Cricket Devel-opment Centre, Balmain, Couva. And they heard an address by Tanya Dickie, Kids Co-ordinating Officer of Prestige Holdings (KFC), sponsors of the contest. She urged the youthful cricketers “to go out there and do your best at all times.” Dickie said that KFC was more than pleased to be associated with the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board of Control (TTCBC) in helping to promote youth cricket which was no doubt the base from which national and regional teams emerge.

DETERMINED Detour Shak Attack sent Defence Force tumbling out of the Premier Division Big Four series in Royal Extra North Zone Basketball League.

A second-half rally led by some balanced scoring, carried Shak Attack to an 83-80 victory over the Army-Coast Guard combination at St Paul Street Multi-Purpose on Wednesday night. A  full house watched Defence Force surrender their league title. After being beaten in Game One on Monday night, Defence Force looked business-like as they scooted into a 25-16 first quarter lead, but this deficit was quickly lessened to 41-37 at the half-time interval. And with dead-eye three-point shooting by Dexter Lewis who stroked four treys in his 17 points to go along with three rebounds, Shak Attack took a slim one-point lead 59-58 at the end of the three-quarter period. And with Terrence Mayers contributing 16 points, three from beyond the arc, Sheldon Christian 13 and Kelvin Blugh 11 while pulling down 13 rebounds, Shak Attack pulled out a thrilling victory. Defence Force was led by Kervis King with 24 points, with Steven “Pampee” Lewis adding 12 and Mervyn “Unks” Jackson ten along with five rebounds, five blocked shots and three treys.

The winners will now meet knockout champions National Flour Mills who blew out Royal Extra Lions 105-78 in the other Game Two match-up of the Big Four also on Wednesday night. Kerry Westfield led all scorers with 22 points and pulled down three rebounds, Shorn Edwards got 17 points, Jason Delisle 14 and Kerry Joseph 12 for the winners, while Kerwin Lares managed 16 points and David Burton 15 for the Lions. Game One of the final takes place at the same venue on Monday night from 8 pm. But before this, Courts Horizon and Defence Force are scheduled to meet in Game One of their final from 6.30 pm. Defence Force and Royal Extra Lions tangle in the third place play-off on July 6 in the second game of a triple-header.

CHAMPS WASA Clean & White and last year’s runners-up Crab Connection played to an enthralling 1-1 draw in second round matches in the Arthur “Jap” Brown Premier Division of the Eastern Football Association.

Ex-national midfielder/defender Marvin Faustin gave the WASA men the lead, but Irvin Trim notched the equalising goal for the Crabs.
But FA Cup holders Carib FC trounced Falcon Crest 4-2 in their game also on Sunday last. Kevon Thomas, Christopher Harewood, Wendell Campbell and Damien Pierre got a goal apiece for the Brewery Boys while Atiba Alexander and Jodi Guiseppi got consolation goals for Falcon Crest. Samba Xtra Malt East San Juan United climbed to the top of the league with a 2-1 triumph over Police. Goals from Sheldon Hernandez and Brent Edwards cancelled out one scored by Dwight Elliot for the lawmen.

Newcomers Hearty Foods Bulls registered their first victory, a 2-0 shut out of Maloney Two Touch with Ronnie Charles and Kevin Daniel getting the goals. Athletico Sports Institute thumped Joe Public 5-1 with Andre Celesting hitting a hat-trick and Stephen Peters a double, while Keseon Theodore fired in a consolation for the Eastern Lions. And TSTT and BM Spurs battled to a 2-2 draw in their match. Dylan Charles and Gregory Seales netted for the telecommunications men while Britto Reyes and Curtis Gomez scored for Spurs. In the other game, East/West Coaching School edged Delta Glass Young Hearts 2-1 on goals by Joel Razack and Keron Charles.  Mathias Cardeja got the losers goal.

Tomorrow’s fixtures: Maloney Two Touch vs Joe Public, at Maloney; Police vs TSTT, at St Joseph; Crab Connection vs Hearty Foods Bulls, at Constantine Park.

Sunday’s games: BM Spurs vs WASA Clean & White, at WASA; East San Juan United vs East/West Coaching School, at Aranguez Savannah; Falcon Crest vs Athletico SI, at St Joseph; Carib FC vs Young Hearts, at St Augustine Senior Comprehensive.  Games kick off 4.15 pm.