Jamaica, Trinidad in crucial clash on opening day

Jamaica will play defending champions Trinidad and Tobago at Banks Oval in one of four games on today in the opening round of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Women's 50-over tournament in Barbados.

Jamaica, who last year finished third in the tournament, will look to world-rated captain Stafanie Taylor, and West Indies representative, middle-order batter Shanel Daley to push them to top honours.

Also expected to play pivotal roles for the Cleon Smith-conditioned unit are Chadean Nation, Chinel Henry, Tameka Sanford, and Jodi-Ann Morgan.

Trinidad, meanwhile, will be hoping that West Indies representatives, captain Merissa Aguilleira, Anisa Mohammed, Britney Cooper and Stacy-Ann King hit top form early.

In other first round matches, Guyana will play Grenada at the Desmond Haynes Oval, Barbados will go up against last year's beaten finalists St Vincent and the Grenadines at the Kensington Oval, while St Lucia will take on Dominica at MTW, Pine Basin.

The tournament is being played in two preliminary round zones with the winners and runners-up slated to advance to the semi-finals.

Zone A includes Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Guyana and Grenada, while Zone B comprises St Vincent and Grenadines, Barbados, St Lucia and Dominica.

Jamaica will play Grenada tomorrow in their second match ahead of Wednesday's rest day.

The final is scheduled for the historic Kensington Oval on Sunday.

JAMAICA SQUAD: Stafanie Taylor (captain), Shanel Daley (vice captain), Chinel Henry, Tameka Sanford, Jodi-Ann Morgan, Karla Cohen, Vanessa Watts, Abbie-Gaye Hendricks, Peta-Gaye Hanson, Chadean Nation, Roshanna Outar, Alecia Bookal, Michelle Thompson, Natasha McLean