Seeking the sunny side

Kingston: For the third successive year, Barbados go into a Red Stripe Bowl semifinal simultaneously wary of two opponents.

The first are the Leewards Islands, regional limited-overs cricket's most distinguished team in the last decade in which they have won four titles.

The second is rainy season weather that has twice eliminated them at the corresponding stage of the tournament in 1998 and 1999.

If there is significant rain again at Sabina Park today, the contentious rule that washed away their chances in the two preceding tournaments will once more send them home empty-handed.

According to the playing conditions, if a semifinal ends in a tie or no-result, the right to play in the final will be determined by the team with the most wins in the zonal competition, or if still equal, the higher net run-rate throughout the zonal competition will apply.

Both Barbados, winners of Zone A, and the Leewards, runners-up in Zone B, achieved three wins in the zonal competition. But the Leewards recorded a marginally better net run rate than Barbados. The Leewards, who beat Bermuda, Guyana and Cayman Islands en route to the Final Four, finished with a net run rate of 0.936, while Barbados, with victories against Canada, Trinidad and Tobago and defending champions Jamaica, had a rate of 0.887.

Barbados, however, can take comfort in the fact that there has been no significant rain in the capital since the start of the tournament, and late yesterday evening the forecast on the CNN web site predicted mainly partly cloudy conditions for the weekend.

The elements would have been a non-factor had Barbados not suffered the indignity of a two-wicket loss to the United States on Monday. Still, manager Tony Howard was philosophical.

'Our idea was to come up here and win six games,' he said.'The fellas realised that they made a foul-up in the United States game, but that apart, they are practising well and everybody seems to be feeling well.'

The second semifinal, which takes place tomorrow, brings together hosts Jamaica and Zone B winners Windward Islands, who have surprised many by reaching the Final Four.