OJ Pitcher will open the batting with Terryn Fray in the first of the three practice matches against Canada starting today at the National Sports Centre.

The new captain and vice-captain will be leading from the front as coach Clay Smith works out his key batting positions ahead of the upcoming World Cricket League Division Four tournament in Los Angeles.

The likes of Dion Stovell, Tre Manders, Dennico Hollis, Stephen Bremar and Kamau Leverock are also expected to play key roles in the top half of the order, with the experience of Dean Minors coming in handy later in the innings.

The seam attack contains two left-handers, Jordan DeSilva and youngster Cejay Outerbridge to complement Greg Maybury and Leverock.

“Cejay’s been firing over the season, he’s quick, enthusiastic and is a wicket-taker,” said Smith, the national coach, who is also excited about the potential of spin trio, Stovell, Delray Rawlins and teenager Jordan Smith.

The weather could impact the tour as rain is in the forecast for this weekend.

“We want to get the games in but we can’t control mother nature,” Neil Speight, the BCB chief executive, said.

All the matches will now be played at the National Sports Centre today, Sunday and Monday, after Sea Breeze Oval suffered outfield damage during Hurricane Nicole.

“I was up at the stadium yesterday talking to the groundsman and I know the first strip that we’ve been training on turns a lot, so we would prefer to play on the next strip which is a bit more grassy,” Smith said.

“It will assist the seam bowlers and should turn some but hopefully not as much as the other wicket.

“It should also play a bit slow which is conducive to what I think we’re going to get over in LA, drop-in wickets that are very similar to the ones we played on in Indianapolis.

“The Board has backed us by giving us these tours, the Sports Centre has supported us, and I want to thank Craig Tyrrell and his staff who have given us a first-class facility to train with. Now the onus falls back on the players to produce the goods.

“That’s why we’re here, that’s why we play cricket, for these opportunities to challenge ourselves. I’m nervous, yes, but it’s a good nervous and if I wasn’t nervous then I would be concerned.

“The top two will get us into Division Three, but the worst case scenario we want to at least maintain our status in Division Four.”

The visit by Canada in October is unusually late for an incoming cricket tour and Bermuda Cricket Board officials are keeping a nervous eye on the weather.

Smith expects a good showing from the team this weekend, though it has been a month since the local season ended, while Canada are fresh off a trip to Los Angeles where they beat the United States in the revived Auty Cup last week.

They won the first two matches by 34 and 17 runs before the US clinched the final match by two wickets with just three balls remaining. On each occasion the team batting first posted targets of between 225 and 240.

“Anything above 225 you’re getting a pretty good shot at winning every game,” Smith said. “That has always been our base target, but we want to be able to score in excess of 250.

“When we went to Canada [last month] we did have the opportunity to bat against some quality spinners and I thought we batted against them really well.

“Since we’ve come back from Canada they’ve really raised the bar because they realise what is at stake. The commitment level from the players has been phenomenal.

“For me it is important that we play some matches. We have some team goals that we set out and we want to hit a lot of these marks. As a coach it will give me an opportunity to see some guys as to how they play under a different level of cricket.

“The tour is very important, I’m sure the Board wouldn’t invest this type of money if it wasn’t important.

“I have to commend the Board for getting us to Canada and preparing this tour as well. It wasn’t easy to get a team to come here. We’re happy to have Canada here and look forward to some good cricket.”

• The BCB’s Award Ceremony for the 2016 season, which was postponed last weekend in the aftermath of hurricane Nicole, will take place on Saturday at the Goslings Wine Cellar starting at 7pm. Tickets can be purchased at the BCB office for $10.