Jamaica's cricketers caught in gully

By Orville Higgins

Jamaica's stint in the 2014 regional 50-over tournament came to an ignominious end on Thursday when they were humbled by Trinidad and Tobago in the semi-finals. It was a horrible showing, but I won't dwell on it. I just want to assess the players' performance in the tournament and look towards the upcoming four-day tournament.

Our biggest problem is at the top of the order. In a desperate bid to find the right pair, Xavier Marshall and Simon Jackson were both overlooked for the trials, while neither Brenton Parchment nor Danza Hyatt was deemed impressive enough. The selectors opted for Horace Miller and John Campbell, but neither of them truly grabbed the chance.

Miller was particularly disappointing, and while Campbell had one good innings against Ireland, and may have suffered a bad decision in the semis, he, too, didn't convince that the role was his.

Kennar Lewis was brought in for one game, but didn't do anything to enhance his cause. Whether the selectors will persist with the Campbell-Miller combination, give other openers a try, or go back for the old brigade, remains the biggest selection dilemma for the upcoming four-day tournament.

Nkrumah Bonner an enigma

Nkrumah Bonner, at No. 3, remains an enigma. When on song, there are few sweeter strokers of the ball in the region. He has all the shots, and, when set, does has the appetite to bat for hours, though he does have the tendency to play too many shots too early, which has proved his undoing. If he works on that, he could still be a handful in regional cricket.

Tamar Lambert demonstrated that for his skills with the bat, as much as his temperament, the team still needs him. He brings a calm to the middle order and is probably the best player of spin in the team. Despite all the jives about his size, he is still valuable to this Jamaican line-up. Still not quite sure why he wasn't the captain.

André McCarthy still impresses. While his bowling continues to deteriorate, his batting is on the up. He may well be the most improved cricketer in Jamaica in the last few years. Like Bonner, he has all the shots, but seems more inclined to play himself in at the start. I think it may not be such a bad idea to groom him into a future No. 3 for Jamaica. He has a sound defence if a wicket falls early, but when conditions are in his favour, he is not afraid to beat leather, and is one of the better batsmen at turning over the strike.

I'm disappointed that Jermaine Blackwood didn't even get one game. He is too good a player not to be a factor for Jamaica down the road. His explosive nature would make him ready-made for the 50-over game, but in the hallowed halls of power, there are whispers that he may just be too irresponsible at times. Hopefully, he can address that.

David Bernard floundering

David Bernard Jr was fine with the ball, but his batting continues to flounder. He has been a crucial member of the Jamaica team for many years, and is a model professional. But one wonders if he will continue to be an automatic pick. His returns with the bat, in recent times, doesn't suggest that he is among our six best batsmen, and while he remains reliable with the ball, one wonders if he would be picked in the best four bowlers we have.

If Bernard can't comfortably make one of the two categories, the selectors should urge him to up his game - or else. When he's in his element, he balances the team, giving them the option to play five bowlers and yet six batsmen, but he needs to start producing more with the bat.

Carlton Baugh Jr remains inconsistent. When he is good, he is very good, and when he is ordinary, he is very ordinary. His spot on the team may be safe for a while, though, because I don't see too many wicketkeeper-batsmen pushing him out.

All the bowlers did OK. Nikita Miller was as always quite excellent. Jerome Taylor showed that he may be on his way back, which would be good news for West Indies cricket. And both Cotterrell and Richardson showed that they can still get wickets at this level. While we disappointed in this tournament, we still have the squad to regain our four-day trophy.

Orville Higgins is a sportscaster with KLAS ESPN Sports. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.