Bermuda look set to face the Windward Islands, Guyana and Jamaica in the first phase of this year's Red Stripe Bowl in Jamaica.

That was the word from the Bermuda Cricket Board of Control yesterday, though the news has not yet been confirmed in writing from the tournament organisers.

The tournament dates have been set as October 27 to November 7 and a spokesman for the West Indies Cricket Board said yesterday that details of groups and venues would be confirmed next week.

Amid rumours of a dispute between the WICB and Jamaica-based sponsors Red Stripe over venues and date-shifting to avoid clashes with West Indies tours to Sharjah and Singapore, details have been slow to emerge.

Bermuda will be looking for their first victory in their fourth year of entering the competition.

And if what the BCBC have been told is verified next week, they will face two of the countries who beat them last October, Guyana and the Windward Islands.

The Windwards beat Bermuda by 67 runs in Guyana, thanks mainly to some fine spin bowling by Roy Marshall, who took four for 38. Their bowling attack also boasts Test paceman Nixon McLean.

But the closest Bermuda have ever come to a win in the competition was also against the Windwards in 1996 in the Red Stripe's predecessor, the Shell Sandals Trophy, when the Caribbean side won by just two runs.

A rematch with Guyana will present Bermuda with the challenge of dismissing top West Indies Test batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who scored an unbeaten 97 in his side's 152-run crushing of the Island last year.

Bermuda will also have to cope better with the leg-spin bowling of 19-year-old Ramnaresh Sarwan, who ripped the heart out of the Island batting with a spell of five for 10.

Playing Jamaica on their own turf is sure to be another tough proposition for Bermuda. Among the home side's ranks will be Test stars like batsman Jimmy Adams, spin-bowler/batsman Nehemiah Perry and fast bowler Franklyn Rose, who has taken 34 wickets in 13 Tests for the West Indies.