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There will be no glitz and no DJ music that is increasingly evident at local sport, but the cricket season is here.

And long before a ball is bowled to launch the Barbados Cricket Associations Courts/Suzuki Division 1 competition today at 1:30 p.m. at seven venues, two teams have a score to settle.

The matter surrounds 16-year-old allrounder Ryan Chicken Breast Nurse, who on Thursday night was named in the final XI for both Mount Gay Maple and CHIC Schools South.

Nurse, who won a gold medal in the 400-metres hurdles at last months CARIFTA Games and has been named on the national team for the Special Olympics later this year, was expected to bolster Maples middle and lower order against Big B Spartan at Queens Park.

Schools had planned to utilise his fast-medium bowling with the new ball against BNB St. Catherine at Deighton Griffith School.

According to Schools South manager Darnley Boxill, Nurse was still a schoolboy and had turned up for practice and therefore selected.

Good start

We have a number of fine additions including Nurse, Ryan Hurley, and Pedro DePeiza in a team where all the players are under-30, said Maple manager Jeff Broomes. Actually all but two are over 25 and we are hoping for a good start in the Park.

Up to Press time it was unclear which of the two teams had met to put the matter of Chicken Breast to rest.

The enigmatic Hurley boasts a first-class century in his short career but has been in and out of the local scene for the past two seasons, since being dropped by the national selectors.

Broomes, who has overseen the development of Hurley since his days at St. Lucy Secondary, believes the 22-year-old former Young West Indies player has found a home and described him as a great acquisition.

Spartan will again be led by Ronnie Griffith, the only member of the team over 30, who was chosen for the job ahead of last years leading scorer, Kerry Lucas.

Newcomers

They welcome into their ranks 17-year-old left-arm spinner Suleiman Benn, who was on the fringe of national selection for the Busta Cup, Corey Millar and Justin Pounder, two teenaged allrounders, picked mainly for their medium-pace bowling.

A stones throw away at Weymouth, defending champions Police have included two young faces for their opening fixture against Cockspur Wanderers. They are Brian Corbin, over from CHIC Schools North, and Dwayne Brathwaite, a left-hander who made nearly 500 runs last year for Wanderers.

Leslie Reifer, called out of retirement to lead the team after Derwin Thompson was sidelined by a serious injury, said the team would aim to repeat. William Callender, a fringe player entering his seventh year, will do the glove work.

ICB Empire show no new names, but they showcase many of the experienced, knowledgeable faces who have done yeoman service for the past decade. Their problem surrounds the wicket-keeping spot left vacant by the departure of Ricky Hoyte to Canada and Jason King to United Carlton.

Ironically, King will battle his old mates first at Black Rock in a Carlton team which will have technical advice from Desmond Haynes.

At Wildey homeside Cable & Wireless BET will be fielding Test players Courtney Browne, Floyd Reifer and Corey Collymore, but will be without allrounder Ian Bradshaw when they tackle Dewar Whisky YMPC, led by keeper Roger Coward.

Bradshaw, a former national player, was playing in Trinidad recently, while Ottis Gibson, the West Indies discard, is still in England. Both may be available later in the season.

In the other matches, Banks will be led for the first time by Mark Estwick as they take on Mike Matthews ESA Field Pickwick at the Brewery. BCL, with a number of new faces, will battle CHIC Schools North at Blenheim.