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Roland Holder says it is ``crunch-time''.

Jimmy Adams believes the first two days will be the most crucial.

The bottom-line is that both captains know that the first five weeks of the 1999 Busta Cup are now meaningless and the next four days will determine who has the right to contest next month's final.

``Having won most of the preliminary matches doesn't matter now. This is the stage when you slip up, you are out of the tournament,'' Holder, the Barbados captain told WEEKENDSPORT on the eve of his team's semifinal encounter against Jamaica starting this morning at Kensington Oval.

``Everyone is aware that this is a do-a-die situation. What I have continued to stress to the guys is that if we continue to play the way we have been playing, we'll come out on top.''

Barbados are welcoming back seamer Hendy Bryan, now fully recovered from a dislocated elbow that eliminated him from the last three matches. His 11 wickets at 11.00 runs apiece gave him the best bowling average in the preliminaries.

There is no doubt that Barbados were the most impressive team during the round-robin matches. En route to winning four of their five matches, they produced the competition's leading run-scorer, wicket taker and wicket-keeper.

The only thing it has earned them is home advantage for the semifinal. They will also be guaranteed the same privilege if they qualify for the March 20-23 final.

``This is the first step of getting to the final and I expect us to give of our best. We have been in reasonable form throughout the season,'' Holder said.

``Hopefully, the week the guys had off would have given them the opportunity to rest and to recuperate because we did look a little jaded in the last match.''

Ironically, that last match was also against Jamaica and Barbados failed to press home their advantage and complete a record-equalling fifth successive victory.

Their bid on the final day was thwarted by a simple missed chance and a fighting unbeaten century from Adams whose team come to Kensington as underdogs after finishing fourth in the first phase of the tournament.

The Jamaica captain knows that a few hours of outstanding play are enough to put his team into the final against Trinidad and Tobago.

``I'm just looking forward to the team going out and playing some good cricket over the next four days,'' he said.

``The first two days will probably determine who goes through because so much emphasis has been put on first innings (lead) at this part of the competition.''

Both teams were joined last night by their West Indies Board XI selectees who took part in a three-day match against Australia which ended Wednesday. Neither side, however, thinks the closeness of the matches will have a major effect.

``They were in Antigua playing a high level of cricket which I think it would only have done them good,'' Adams said. ``I would think they would come here having enjoyed the opportunity to play against the Australians.''

This match is more than about vying for a place in the final. It is also a chance for many players to further enhance their claims for a place in the West Indies team for the opening Test against Australia starting next Friday in Port-of-Spain.

On the evidence of the ill-fated tour of South Africa, there are several who could feel they have everything to play for here.

Adams and Holder are among the two leading middle-order batsmen in contention for a Test place. Philo Wallace and Adrian Griffith are battling to see who will join Sherwin Campbell at the top of the order and three young fast bowlers - Pedro Collins, Corey Collymore and Dwight Mais - could get a chance before most anticipate.

Even the two experienced spinners, Barbados' Winston Reid and Jamaica's Nehemiah Perry, the season's two leading wicket-takers, might feel it is not now too late for them.

The teams:

Barbados: Roland Holder (captain), Philo Wallace, Sherwin Campbell, Adrian Griffith, Floyd Reifer, Ryan Hinds, Courtney Browne, Hendy Bryan, Winston Reid, Pedro Collins, Corey Collymore. Emergency fieldsmen: Dave Marshall, Ricky Hoyte.

Jamaica (from): Jimmy Adams (captain), Leon Garrick, Mario Ventura, Wavel Hinds, Ricardo Powell, Tony Powell, Nehemiah Perry, Laurie Williams, Matthew Sinclair, Brian Murphy, Dwight Mais, Chris Gayle, Audley Sanson.

Umpires: Basil Morgan (Montserrat), Dalton Holder (Barbados).
Stand-by: Halley Moore (Barbados).