Tony Becca
A look at the records in regional cricket for the past four years shows that Jamaica have been doing reasonably well - and but for this past season, particularly so in the four-day version of the game.
In 2003, Jamaica finished fourth in the Carib Beer Cup and after defeating Guyana in the semi-finals of the Shield, lost to Barbados in the fina.
In 2004, Jamaica finished second in the Cup and after defeating the Windward Islands in the semi-finals, lost to Barbados in the final.
In 2005, Jamaica won both the Cup and the Shield and earlier this year, they finished sixth and last in the Cup and thus failed to get into the race for the Shield.
In the one-day version, however, things have not been as good - not only because they have not won once during that time, but also because of a record which shows that in 2002 Jamaica lost in the final of the Red Stripe Bowl to Barbados; in 2003 they lost in the semi-finals to Guyana; in 2004 they finished fifth out of six after winning two games and losing three in the Board-sponsored tournament; and that in 2005 they finished with an identical record.
Real disappointment
Although one cannot win all the time, although once one has done his best there should be no real disappointment in not winning and especially so when one is not expected to win and is therefore not among the favourites to win, it is and must be disappointing when one is expected to win, when one is not only among the favourites to win but is the favourite to win and does not win
It is even more disappointing when a team that is favourite to win and is expected to win, drops out of contention early and that is why, regardless of what they think of about the tournament, Jamaicans are so disappointed with Jamaica 's performance in the quarter-final round of the Stanford 20/20 in St. John's on Saturday night.
As was the case over the past two seasons when they went into the regional one-day tournament boasting a squad which included, from time to time, 12 West Indies players and two 'A' Team players - a squad that was so good that it was touted to win hands down but which totally disappointed, Jamaica, with eight West Indies players in their midst, including five specialist batsmen and a wicketkeeper or/batsman, went into Saturday night's game as the favourites not only to win that match but to win the US$1 million first prize.
Mistaken belief
As was the case over the past two seasons, however, Jamaica, let down in the field from the first delivery of Guyana's innings, crashed and fell and are now not even in the top four.
The question is this: What is wrong that a team that is so strong, at least according to the West Indies selectors, cannot, and definitely so where batting and fielding are concerned, get it together when it matters?
It can be that despite some exciting strokes here and there, some of their batsmen, most of them are not as good as the West Indies selectors believe they are or believed they were.
Looking at the type of strokes some of them attempt when they are dismissed, it is either that or, to make matters worse, some of them believe they are better than they really are.
