Lara, Dillon face Leewards today

WEST INDIES players Brian Lara and Mervyn Dillon are expected to be included in the Trinidad and Tobago lineup for their final Carib Beer 2003 Cricket Series encounter against the Leeward Islands at St Thomas, British Virgin Islands, today.

Double world batting record holder Lara and Dillon, fresh from the West Indies World Cup appearance in South Africa, replace middle-order batsman Lincoln Roberts and pacer Theodore Modeste in the squad, which is coming off three successive setbacks against India ‘A’, Barbados and Jamaica. Roberts’ form has detoriated since scoring a double century (222) against West Indies “B” in the second round, and Modeste captured only two wickets against Jamaica in their seven-wicket loss on Monday. Trinidad and Tobago, who were second in the standings after round four and slipped to third in the fifth round, are now lying fifth and in danger of missing the Carib Beer International Shield play-offs. They have 31 points and must win to qualify for the Shield play-offs. Lara joined the Daren Ganga-led team last night and will get straight into action this morning.

Another Windies representative, fast bowler Jermaine Lawson, was expected to take a fitness test yesterday to determine whether he will represent Jamaica in their seventh-round Carib Beer series game against India ‘A’ at Sabina Park. Lawson, who made his only appearance at the current World Cup in the West Indies final group match against Kenya, left the field prematurely with what Jamaica chairman of selectors Rudy Williams said was a muscle strain. Media reports coming out of Kingston say that following a visit to orthopaedic surgeon Dr Akshai Mansingh on Wednesday, Lawson participated in some light exercises with the Jamaica squad. The Jamaican selectors are in the good position of having an abundance of talent to choose from with the availability of all of the players who represented the West Indies at the World Cup and it is likely that places would be found in the team for openers Wavell Hinds and Chris Gayle, and for the middle order pair of Ricardo Powell, and Marlon Samuels.

Captain Robert Samuels has already announced that he is hoping for a full-strength team, including Lawson, in order to press for maximum points against the Indians. The Jamaicans are in second place behind Barbados who have already won the Carib Beer Cup, and should they maintain this position with a strong performance against India “A”, they will host one of the semi-finals for the four team knock-out competition for the International shield. Coach Robert Haynes after looking at the Sabina Park wicket said in his mind he would select three quick bowlers along with medium pacer David Bernard Jnr in the final XI. Lawson apart, the only injury concern for Jamaica surrounds wicketkeeper, Keith Hibbert who was struck on the hand in the sixth round game against Trinidad.

Guyana would welcome back West Indies batsmen Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan in their squad to face the Windward Islands. Chanderpaul and Sarwan, back in the Caribbean after the West Indies’ failed attempt to reach the World Cup Super Sixes, come into the squad at the expense of Homchand Pooran and Naresh Roopnarine, who were emergency fielders in Guyana’s drawn sixth round game against India “A” last weekend. Guyana and the Windward Islands, currently third and sixth respectively in the Carib Beer Series standings, both have a chance at making the Carib Beer International Shield play-offs (semi-finals) entering today’s match Friday at the Albion Community Centre.

Guyana, the defending International Shield champions, have 34 points, to trail new Cup champions Barbados (60), and Jamaica (39). The Leeward Islands are in fourth on 34 points, followed by Trinidad and Tobago (31), the Windwards (30), India “A” (21) and West Indies “B” (six).  And fast bowler Corey Collymore is the only one of Barbados’ three World Cup players to be named in the national side for today’s Carib Beer Cup match against West Indies “B”.