Basseterre, St Kitts – Big gun Jamaica and the feisty Leeward Islands should engage in a war of attrition on the batting paradise that is Warner Park in St Kitts starting on Friday in Round 2 of the WICB Regional 4-Day First Class Tournament.

With West Indies outcast Daren Powell added to the fast bowling line up and coming off a comprehensive victory over the Windward Islands, Jamaica are favourites but the Leewards have home advantage. Powell returned to the side at the expense of Jason Dawes after serving a one match suspension for disciplinary reasons.

Veteran batsman Wavell Hinds is in top form after missing a century by just five runs against Windwards at Chedwin Park and Windies middle order batsman Brendan Nash also got useful forties (40 & 44*) in that game signalling that he too is hitting the ball well.

Jamaica is however suffering at the top of the order with the loss of Windies captain Chris Gayle who is in Australia participating in the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash.

Brenton Parchment and Xavier Marshall scored a total of 20 runs in the match and had opening stands of 8 and 2. Despite double failures by the openers the team management  - Head Coach Junior Bennett and manager Jimmy Adams – may exercise patience and grant the openers another chance but there could be a case for Donovan Pagon to move up the order and left hander Shawn Findlay to come into the middle. Pagon looked in good touch, scoring 56 in the first innings.

Jamaica’s bowling trump will be left arm spinner Nikita Miller who took a match haul of 9 for 99 against Windwards. He will have leg spinner Odean Brown for spin support along with captain Tamar Lambert’s off spin. With ace paceman Jerome Taylor missing through injury, Powell and Andrew Richardson will share the new ball with support from medium pace all rounders Dave Bernard Jr, Nash and Hinds.

The Leewards fast bowling stock is in the hands of recently debuted Windies pacers – Gavin Tonge of Antigua and Lionel Baker of Montserrat. But the Leewards will rely heavily on spin trio of off spinners Omari Banks of Anguilla and Justin Athanaze of Antigua along with Antiguan leg spinner Anthony Martin who shared 11 wickets in their draw against Barbados in round 1.

Runako Morton continues to demonstrate excellent regional form with scores of 30 and 89 v Barbados to end the round with the third highest run tally (CCC’s Omar Phillips tops the table with 158 followed by Windwards' Rawl Lewis 145). The Leewards will once again look to him for runs and will need their openers – Nevisian Kieran Powell and Anguillan Montcin Hodge to do better than opening stands of 25 and 24 which they got in Kingston.

Hodge made 55 in the second innings while the Leewards lower order wagged in the first innings after being reduced to 86 for 5 and posted a competitive 236 which set the foundation for them to take first innings points.

Captain Steve Liburd (10 & 7 v Barbados) will be on home soil and will want to perform in front his home crowd. Certainly his team needs runs from his bat as they do from the bat of Nevisian all rounder Tonito Willett who also made 10 and 7 in Jamaica.