Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer

Jamaica's senior team cricket coach, Junior Bennett, has expressed concerns about the team's batting ahead of its opening Carib Beer Series match against the Leeward Islands.

In four trial matches, only openers Keith Hibbert, Shawn Findlay and Xavier Marshall have scored centuries, and the final practice game that ended at Kensington on Saturday was a low-scoring affair.

Asked if he was worried about any aspect of the team during its preparation, Bennett replied: "Probably, a little concerned about the batting ... I think we need to apply ourselves.

"We have a few players who seem to apply themselves, but we just need some effort from some other players," he added.

On Saturday's second day of the three-day match, Australian Brendan Nash faced over 200 deliveries while scoring 87, while Donovan Sinclair faced over 150 in his knock of 40.

Praise

Bennett praised both batsmen.

"Nash batted long today, Sinclair also, so the application today was much better than yesterday (Friday)," he added while pointing to David Bernard XI's dismal score of 171, in which West Indies Under-19 batsman Horace Miller top scored with 54.

Tamar Lambert, who was dismissed without scoring, in an interview said the pitch played low but Bennett doesn't accept this as an excuse.

"Even these types of pitches you have to look at it because sometimes in the eastern Caribbean you find these pitches that are slow, but you have to cope with it.

"You are not going to get a featherbed pitch tailor-made for batting and you just go and play shots and so on, sometimes you have to graft for your runs," he added.

The players will continue to train before the squad is reduced from 18 to 14 by Wednesday for Friday's game.

"We are looking to a good combination to play that first match," he said.

"We just need a good all-round squad, so whatsoever the surface might be, we will be prepared for it," he concluded.