Western Bureau:

After not seeing inter-national cricket since the build-up to the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup, Montego Bay will be back in the spotlight when Jarrett Park hosts the regional four-day game between Guyana and Jamaica from April 3-6.

"It took some amount of negotiation but we are extremely happy that we have got this game," said Cecil Fletcher, the president of the St James Cricket Association (StJCA). "The onus is now on us to make a good impression so we can get more games in the near future."

Influencing decision

While the negotiating skills of Fletcher and his StJCA colleagues might have played a major role, the fact that the annual Boys' and Girls' Athletics Championships will be staged in Kingston over that weekend may also have influenced the decision to send the game to the west.

"I know the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium and the Kaiser Sports Club, in St Ann, were both considered," said Fletcher. "However, I believe we made a good case that tilted the decision in our favour."

Fletcher is now hoping that when the Guyana team arrives in Jamaica, their two top players, Test stars Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shiv Chanderpaul, will be numbered among the players because of their crowd-pulling potential.

He is also hoping that new West Indies batsman, Jamaica's Brendan Nash, who has never been seen in western Jamaica, will be available for the game.

Veteran cricket administrator Jerry Reid, who is a part of the organising team, said an effort is now being made to engage all the major stakeholders in Montego Bay to join in to ensure the game is a success.