By Anthony Foster, Freelance WriterDUE TO Hurricane Charley, local organisers have been forced to reduce the number of days in the third and final preliminary round of the TCL Group West Indies Under-19 three-day championship which was scheduled to start yesterday.
Weather permitting, the competition will be played over the next two days, starting today the games are Windward Islands vs Jamaica at Kensington Park, Rest of Americas vs Barbados at Sabina Park, Leeward Islands vs Bermuda at Chedwin Park and Trinidad & Tobago vs Guyana at Jamalco.
The weather will not affect defending champions Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana as both have already qualified from Zone B for the semi-finals, thus leaving Jamaica, Barbados and the Windwards fighting for the other two spots from Zone A.
However, while the weather change of format should not affect Jamaica's and Barbados' chances, reducing the matches to two days will put a damper on the Windwards' push for a semi-final spot.
After picking up first innings points against one-day champions Barbados on Monday and then failing to take maximum points from Rest of Americas, the Windwards need an outright win against zone leaders Jamaica (24 points) to advance.
AVOID DEFEAT
Barbados have 20 points and Jamaica need only to avoid defeats (first innings or outright) to book their places from Zone A while Windwards window of opportunity has all but closed thanks to the weather.
Efforts to get a comment from the Windwards' camp yesterday were unsuccessful but Brian Breese, CEO of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), the local organiser of the championship, said all the teams understood the decision.
"I spoke to the manager (Windwards' Emmanuel Nanthan) and he understood perfectly. What you see now, it would have reduced to two days anyway. I don't think play would have been possible at any of the four grounds," Breese said.
Jamaica's coach, Junior Bennett, said the weather had affected his team's plans, especially with the middle-order batsmen trying to find form.
"We were definitely looking to play a three-day match, so in terms of getting an outright result, it really reduced our chances."
