Tony Becca, Contributing Editor

Trinidad and Tobago's skipper Daren Ganga (right) plays a shot while Jamaica's wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh Jr. looks on during his undefeated 104 in their Carib Beer Series match at Alpart Sports ground, Nain, St. Elizabeth on Thursday. The team's renew rivalry today in the KFC Cup one-day championship at Sabina Park. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Jamaica take on Trinidad and Tobago at Sabina Park today in the regional KFC one-day tournament, starting at 9:30 a.m.

Although everything do not hang on the result of this match for both teams as it did in the Carib Beer four-day encounter at Alpart which ended on Thursday in victory for the visitors, although Trinidad and Tobago have already booked their place, Jamaica must win to guarantee their place in the semi-finals.

Following victories over Barbados, Guyana, the Leeward Islands and the Windward Islands, Trinidad and Tobago boast a perfect record and are in an unassailable position with 18 points - nine clear of second-placed Barbados.

Delicately placed

Following their record of two victories and two losses, however, Jamaica, on eight points and in joint third place with Guyana, are delicately placed as defeat for them and victory for the Windward Islands over the Leeward Islands would leave them in fifth spot and out of the semi-finals, even if Guyana lose to Barbados.

Guyana, it should be remembered, defeated Jamaica and if they both lose and remain on eight points, Guyana would advance.

In fact, following their loss to Barbados in both versions of the game and their loss on Thursday, Jamaica have not won a match since their 40-run loss to Guyana when they were routed for 123 on a lovely afternoon at Alpart.

The question, therefore, is this: Can Jamaica recover from four losses in a row, win this match and qualify - for the first time in the last three tournaments - for the semi-finals?

Based on their form, they should not - and certainly not against a team with solid batsmen like captain Daren Ganga and his brother Sherwin Ganga, with two young and attractive strokeplayers in 20 year-old Jason Mohammed and 16-year-old Adrian Barath, not with a hard hitter like 19-year-old Kieron Pollard, not with an-all-rounder like Richard Kelly, and not against an attack to be selected from pacers Kelly, Ravi Rampaul, Rayad Emrit and the experienced Mervyn Dillon, a left-arm wrist spinner like Dave Mohammed and an off-spinner like Amit Jaggernauth.

Although four matches and just over two weeks is a long time, form, however, is usually only temporary, class is usually more permanent and as bad as Jamaica's form has been, the team possess enough class to win this match and ensure that they move on.

With Christopher Gayle and Marlon Samuels back in the team following their late return from the West Indies short tour of India and despite reports of Samuels' involvement with a bookmaker, their presence could, or should, motivate their colleagues.

And even though David Bernard Jnr. and Carlton Baugh Jnr. have totalled a mere 53 and 58 runs respectively, although captain Wavell Hinds has managed only 65, a batting line-up of Gayle and Brenton Parchment - who must be bubbling with confidence following his twin centuries in the four-day game and the fact that he was ninth out in the first innings, and that he batted undefeated to the end of the second innings, Samuels, Hinds, and Lambert plus Bernard and Baugh is promising and could explode today.

The bowling is no different.

Although at an average of 4.46 and 4.70, Jermaine Lawson and Jerome Taylor have been expensive, an attack of those two plus Daren Powell, plus left-arm spinner Nikita Miller who, at 2.84, has been miserly, plus Gayle and Samuels and their off-spin, plus Hinds and his medium-pace can be a difficult proposition for Trinidad and Tobago's batsmen - providing the three pacers set the stage by not bowling too short.

As Jamaica go hunting for an elusive victory and a place in the semi-finals, their biggest concern must be all-rounder Bernard, and with a record this season of 149 runs at an average of 16.55 and no wickets in the Carib Beer Series, 53 runs at an average of 17.66 and six wickets in the KFC Trophy, it would not be surprising if he is replaced.

If Bernard is replaced, with an attack of Taylor, Lawson and Powell, Miller, Hinds, Gayle and Samuels, with Jamaica's batting so pathetic so far this season, although he is an all-rounder, he should be replaced by a batsman - probably by Shane Powell who, although he failed last time out, even though he does not look the part, deserves another chance.