JAMAICA TAKE on Barbados in the fourth round of the regional four-day Carib Beer cricket series at Chedwin Park today, and with the visitors on 30 points and in first place, with the home team on 21 and in second, it should be a close and thrilling encounter.

After Thursday's performance in the KFC one-day regional tournament at Alpart, however, the home team's fans are simply keeping their fingers crossed and hoping for the best.

And remembering that in 2005, Jamaica, on their way to winning the title, defeated Barbados, who finished last, by 10 runs in Barbados and by an innings and 37 at Alpart, it has nothing to do with the fact that last year, the last time the two teams met, Barbados won by 10 wickets at the Three Ws Oval in Bridgetown on their way to finishing second and sentencing Jamaica to last place.

Although this is a four-day game and that was a one-day affair, the fear of the Jamaica fans has to do with the home side's performance three days ago when, after coming back to win first-innings points from the Windward Islands, after defeating the Windward Islands by five wickets in the one-day contest and after defeating Guyana by a comfortable margin of seven wickets in the four-day version of the game, Jamaica, on a lovely day, on a good pitch, were ripped apart for 123 chasing a target of 164.

Terrible collapse

"That was a terrible performance," said an old faithful of Jamaica's cricket, minutes after the collapse. "I just cannot believe it. Imagine, 39 without loss, 123 all out."

It is almost a safe bet that, as disappointed as he may have been, the old-timer will be at Chedwin Park today, and for the next four days, because he believes that Jamaica have a chance of winning the match or drawing it and coming away with first-innings points.

And Jamaica do have a chance.

As disappointingly as they performed on Thursday, Jamaica's batting, to come from Brenton Parchment and Danza Hyatt, Lorenzo Ingram, captain Wavell Hinds, Tamar Lambert, David Bernard Jr., Carlton Baugh Jr., and possibly young Jaime Trenchfield who may get his first cap today, is as good as the line-up of Barbados which is expected to include Dale Richards and Wayne Blackman, Patrick Browne, Floyd Reifer, captain Ryan Hinds and all-rounder Ryan Austin.

In their three matches to date, Barbados have scored 228 and 194 for seven while defeating Trinidad and Tobago, 263 and 247 for five while winning first-innings points from the Leeward Islands, 171 and 183 for nine while defeating the Windward Islands by 141 runs, and as far as their individual performances are concerned, Hinds with 236 runs at an average of 43.20, Richards with 228 at an average of 38.00 and Blackman with 204 at 34.00 are their top batsmen.

Against that, Jamaica, in their three matches, have scored 353 and 185 for seven, 289 and 293, 375 and 64 for three wickets, and their top batsmen, Hinds, Lambert and Parchment, parade figures of 279 runs at an average of 69.75, 279 runs at an average of 55.80 and 193 at 32.16 respectively.

Like so many matches in the history of the game, however, this one could be decided not by the batsmen but by the bowlers, and apart from off-spinner Austin for Barbados, left-arm spinner Nikita Miller and leg-spinner Odean Brown, or preferably left-arm wrist spinner André Dwyer or off-spinner Bevan Brown, for Jamaica, with pace bowlers Fidel Edwards, Corey Collymore and left-hander Pedro Collins on one side, with Jermaine Lawson and Andrew Richardson, plus medium-pacer Bernard on the other side, it could be anybody's match.

If that is so, then despite Barbados' bowlers nailing Trinidad and Tobago for 141 in their second innings, and the Windward Islands for 122 and 91, the local fans should have no fear - not with Collins and Austin, Barbados' leading bowlers, having 13 and 12 wickets, respectively, with one haul of six each, not with Lawson, Jamaica's top man, boasting a bag of 21 with one haul of six and one of seven wickets in it.

ROUND FOUR MATCHES

(Home team listed first)

Jamaica vs Barbados at Chedwin Park

Guyana vs Leewards at Albion

T&T vs Windwards at Guaracara Park