Tony Becca, Contributing Editor

THE BATTLE for the regional Carib Beer Cup continues today, and with some teams having a match in hand, the winners may not be known until defending champions Barbados tackle Trinidad and Tobago at the Queen's Park Oval on March 28.

As far as Jamaica are concerned, however, the battle moves into its final round starting today at Alpart Sports Club in Nain, St. Elizabeth, where the home team takes on the Windward Islands in what could be the deciding contest.

After five matches, 17 days of cricket, a wonderful start during which they won their first three matches, all at home, inside three days, led on first innings in a drawn encounter away from home and then lost after leading on first innings away from home, Jamaica, on 46 points, are in front and tipped to win the Cup and the accompanying US$12,500 prize.

First innings points

Four points ahead of Barbados and an impressive 15 in front of third-placed Trinidad and Tobago, with 12 points for victory and six for first innings lead in a drawn match, Jamaica can win the Cup by simply taking first innings points from the Windward Islands who, on 16 points, are languishing near the bottom of the standings.

Six points for Jamaica, however, and maximum 12 for Barbados, or maximum points from both Combined Campuses and Barbados for Trinidad and Tobago would leave Jamaica in the runners-up spot and sentenced to contest the Challenge Trophy and its prize of US$5,000.

Jamaica's mission today, and for the following three days, therefore, is victory and, despite their collapse in Bridgetown at Kensington Oval a few days ago, in spite of a history of tight contests against the WindwardIslands, they should succeed and walk away with the title for the ninth time and for the first time since 2005.

Jamaica's batting has been far from impressive so far, however, and that must be a reason for concern to captain Chris Gayle.

Impressive line-up

With a batting line-up of Gayle, Brendan Parchment - who is expected to partner his captain at the top of the order, Marlon Samuels - who is expected to make his first appearance this season and who should bat at number three, Danza Hyatt, Brendan Nash and Tamar Lambert, plus David Bernard Jr and Carlton Baugh Jr (the all-rounder and the wicketkeeper who have been disappointing with the bat), Jamaica's batting looks impressive, and Gayle, plus coach Junior Bennett as well as selectors chairman Ruddy Williams, Delroy Morgan and Ephraim McLeod, must be quietly hoping, and praying, that the batsmen step up and perform.

Although they could miss the presence of another genuine spin bowler, if Jamaica's batsmen do perform, the Jamaica attack of pacers Jerome Taylor and Daren Powell, medium-pacer Bernard and left-arm spinner Nikita Miller should be good enough to bowl the home team to victory, and especially so at Alpart.

Although they flexed their muscles against CCC and defeated them by 10 wickets, the Windward Islands have so far lost to the Leeward Islands by 34 runs, to Barbados by nine wickets, to Trinidad and Tobago by three wickets.

That suggests that Jamaica, who defeated the Leeward Islands by five wickets, CCC by 10 wickets and Guyana by eight wickets, while taking first innings lead from T&T and going down by 17 runs to Barbados, are clear favourites to win the match.

No push-over

The Windward Islands, however, will be no push-over or, rather, they should not be - not with a batsman like Devon Smith plus youngsters such as 20-year-old Andre Fletcher, 23-year-old Liam Sebastien and 19-year-old Donwell Hector.

Not with an all-rounder like Daren Sammy, not with a pace bowler like left-armer Deighton Butler plus 20-year-old Nelon Pascal, and certainly not with two spin bowlers like legspinner Rawl Lewis and off-spinner Shane Shillingford.

Round six