The Leeward Islands drift into Round 6 of the 2004 Carib Beer Series this week without a win under their belt since the tournament began in early January. They seem to be drifting even further off course this year and as they go into St. Thomas for what is a home game against table-toppers Barbados, they are like a ship without a rudder and with all their sails aflap.

Although the Leewards were able to post a record-breaking innings total of over 700 when they met Kenya in a drawn match in Anguilla, they have achieved little else of merit, and even when their batsmen have scored over 300 in an innings as they did in Trinidad and again last week against the Windwards in St. Maarten, they have been unable to gain first innings points.

The match-up last week at St. Maarten's Caribe Lumber Ball Park between the Leewards and the Windwards was appropriately a very windy affair. The Leewards seemed to have negotiated the almost gale force winds with some success when, after winning the toss, they batted and, moving at a steady pace, scored a big first innings total of 378. However, as the winds continued to blow throughout the weekend, the Winward Islanders cruised comfortably on a long reach and as they came up to the final buoy, were able to pull out in front and comfortably take first innings points with a score of 435 for 5 wickets. This was mainly due to a fine 159 from young opener Devon Smith who must surely now have staked his claim to open the batting for the West Indies along with Chris Gayle when they meet England in the forthcoming Test Series in the Caribbean.

Barbados, the Leewards opponents for this week's match in St. Thomas, have won five out of five, taking maximum points so far in this series and the Leewards are going to find it a tough task to improve their position at the bottom of the table, especially as they will be without their skipper, Stuart Williams, who injured a hand in St. Maarten and has not yet recovered. Ian Tittle comes in to the squad to replace him.

Like the West Indies, the Leewards have struggled to find the bowlers who can do the job this year and with Adam Sanford away on Test duty until two weeks ago, Kerry Jeremy looking way below par, and Dane Weston being unimpressive when he was tried early in the Series, they have had to rely on their medium pacers Cornwall, Powell, Willet and Jeffers. Unfortunately, they have been unable to penetrate the opposing batting and much has fallen on their one spinner, Nevisian Virgil Browne, who has bowled a lot of overs and worked hard. He has also batted quite impressively low down in the order.

The Leewards appear to have been one front-line bowler short in their team selections so far in this tournament and one wonders why, if the fast men are not good enough or just not available at present, why one of our front-line spinners, Anguilla's Chaka Hodge, has been kept sitting on the bench all season.. For many seasons now in Leewards cricket it has been quite apparent that there is a reluctance to select two spinners in the same match, when spinners in other teams continue to do consistently well year after year in the regional four day tournament. Perhaps this trait has stemmed from having had such exceptional Leewards bowlers as Roberts, Ambrose and the Benjamins, etcetera. Playing Browne and Hodge together should be tried and I hope to see it happen in St. Thomas.

In speaking to Chairman of the Leewards selectors, Anguilla's Rommel Hughes, 'The Anguillian" was informed that he, too, would like to see two spinners brought into the attack and that he has been of this opinion for most of the season. Unfortunately, on match day he is not the one to decide. Mr. Hughes added that he was very disappointed with the Leewards performances and that because of poor Leewards batting performances in recent times, the team selectors on match day have been going for the extra batsman and leaving themselves one bowler short. He felt that if the Leewrds play the extra bowler they may possibly not bowl out the opposition, but at least they would give themselves half a chance.

With the final two matches agaist Barbados and Jamaica, this policy should be tried. Nothing else has worked and there is nothing to lose.

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