England A will be going all out to achieve first innings points when their third round Busta Cup match against Guyana gets underway at the Grenada National Stadium.

After the first two rounds, skipper Mark Alleyne has weighed up the odds of securing victories on pitches he describes as "bland" and decided they are too long, with the emphasis now shifted to building large first innings totals to ensure at least six bonus points.

"The strategy for the tournament seems to be to try and secure first innings points. The wickets have been quite bland, so it looks like outright victories will be few and far between, which is why first innings points are important," he said ahead of the selection meeting to decide the line-up for Friday's game.

"I can see why the tournament awards points for first innings, but it is leading to dull cricket which is a worry. We can't do anything to counter that. The pitches are so bland that forcing a victory in 360 overs will be very difficult."

Despite facing a strong Guyana side led by Carl Hooper, Alleyne and his fellow selectors, vice-captain John Crawley and coach Peter Moores, are keen to play squad members who have not yet played on this tour.

These include the young Essex wicketkeeper James Foster, the Durham University student who has proved a hard-working and lively tourist. He is set to replace Chris Read and after two disappointing matches for the Nottinghamshire keeper, Foster is well positioned for future ties if he can make an impression.

Gloucestershire pace bowler Jonathan Lewis is also expected to be called up with Alex Tudor, England A's leading bowler with 11 wickets, due for a rest. Chris Schofield, the Lancashire and England leg-spinner, is set to bowl alongside Jason Brown as the selectors plump for a two-pronged specialist spin attack.

The Warwickshire skipper Michael Powell, who arrived in Trinidad last week to replace David Sales, is another player whom the selectors are anxious to see in action, but his inclusion as well as the extra spinner will mean that two of the three middle order batsmen, Usman Afzaal, Vikram Solanki and Aftab Habib are dropped.

With rumours over an imminent change in the West Indies captaincy gaining ground, much attention will be focussed on Guyana skipper Hooper, who it is claimed, is poised to be appointed for the forthcoming South Africa tour in place of Jimmy Adams.

Denials have been issued by the West Indies Cricket Board, but a spokesman confirmed that an announcement over Adams' future will be made in the coming weeks.

Hooper, a former Kent overseas player, retired from first-class cricket midway through the West Indies one day series against Australia in 1999 when his wife and daughter were taken ill at their home in Adelaide.

When he made himself available for the 2001 Busta Cup, in which West Indies players have to compete in order to play for their country, many saw it as a sign that he was ready for an international comeback and from that point on, the speculation over his appointment as national skipper has been rife.

He leads a strong side that includes Test batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan, recently returned from the 5-0 series defeat in Australia, who became an unlikely bowling hero in the second round match against Leeward Islands by taking 6-62 to win the man-of-the-match award.

Guyana, who lie in fourth place behind England A in the Busta Cup table, have secured all their points from first innings leads, both their games having ended in draws, and England A are expecting similar tactics in this vital third round clash.

© CricInfo Ltd.