hopes high that they can achieve a first win in the Red Stripe Bowl.

A planned practice match against Prison Officers at Royal Naval field on Saturday turned into an eight-a-side training session after a number of players were unable to attend due to other commitments.

But coach Allan Douglas (left) said that several good things came out of the session which may make selection for the first game against Jamaica on Wednesday even more competitive.

Aaron Adams, Cleveland's middle order batsman, who impressed with a couple of important knocks on the tour of Canada eight weeks ago, particularly caught Douglas' eye, along with the bowling of 16-year-old off spinner Stephen Outerbridge and the medium fast of the more experienced Herbie Bascome.

"Adams looked really good,'' said Douglas, "while Herbie's bowling was spot on. We were getting him to concentrate on bowling one side of the wicket and he did that very well.

"And Stevie was flighting the ball really well.'' Thirteen of the squad were due to leave on the early American Airlines flight to New York this morning, where they would meet up with skipper Charlie Marshall who has been off the Island for a week.

With Jamaica two hours behind Bermuda, the team was expected to arrive in Kingston by the early afternoon, and spend one night there before travelling to Mandeville, an approximate two-hour drive away.

Yesterday Douglas sounded keen to just get on with the job. Jamaican cricket officials have yet to inform their Bermuda counterparts on the itinerary for Tuesday, but Douglas was hoping to get up to Mandeville early so the team could get some practice in Jamaican conditions. "The sooner we get down there, the better, to be honest'' said the Bermuda coach. "We need to be able to get out there and practice. I will be trying to find out what exactly is happening as I soon as we get to Kingston.'' Bermuda open their challenge in Zone A of the competition against Jamaica on Wednesday and then have a four-day gap before their next matches against defending champions Guyana on Monday November 1 and the Windward Islands the following day.

The Windwards and Guyana also meet at Alpart, on Thursday October 28, before Jamaica have a weekend double header against the pair, both at Sabina Park.

Bermuda miss out on a match at the Test venue, having been allocated Kensington for their two games in the capital. Zone B of the competition is being played in Antigua and Anguilla, where Barbados, the Leeward Islands, Trinidad, and Canada will aim to clinch two semi-final places against the top two in Zone A.

The semi-finals will be played on November 5 and 6, at the previously unused Discovery Bay ground with the final on Sunday November 7 at the same venue.

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