England A go into action for the first time tomorrow when they face the West Indies B side in the Busta International Shield match in the shadow of the green top mountains of Grenada.

This opening four day match, the first of seven England A will play to qualify for the semi-final and final next month, represents the first time any non-West Indian side has competed in the Busta Cup.

The competition had to be restructured to ensure that only a local side could win the title after the West Indies Board of Control came under fire for inviting both England A and West Indies B to compete.

In its new format, regional sides will accumulate points from the first seven rounds and the winner will take the Busta Cup. The international sides will earn `shadow' points in those matches and must finish in the top four to qualify for the semis which will produce the ultimate winners of the Busta International Shield.

Over the next few weeks, England A will travel to Trinidad, Barbados, Jamaica, St Lucia and Anguilla as they attempt to score a unique first in winning the competition. Mark Alleyne's side will also be attempting to preserve England A's unbeaten record which now stretches back over six years and 36 matches.

Preparations have been intense as the squad travelled daily to the picturesque St George's University ground for beach side nets in the morning then to the Queens Park Oval ground for training in the afternoon.

Over the swelteringly hot lunch time period, the squad have rested and as a result, all have acclimatised well to the warm temperatures, with few injuries reported. David Sales, who fell and twisted his ankle during a game of beach volleyball on New Year's Day was sent home on Wednesday for scans and treatment but the remaining players are all 100 per cent fit.

In Sales' absence and until Warwickshire's Michael Powell arrives to replace him, selectors have few options but to go with the six specialist batsmen, giving a debut to talented Nottinghamshire batsman Usman Afzaal.

Although it is certain that Surrey's Ian Ward will open with John Crawley and skipper Mark Alleyne will go in at six, the decisions over the positions of Afzaal, Vikram Solanki and Aftab Habib were to be decided tonight at a selectors meeting.

The pace attack will be spearheaded by Chris Silverwood and Alex Tudor while Nottinghamshire's Paul Franks is also expected to be included, forcing Jonathan Lewis and Ryan Sidebotton to wait for their opportunity, despite making a big impression in the nets.

After an examination of the wicket, selectors will also decide whether the attack will feature two spinners with both Jason Brown and Chris Schofield looking to make a impression.

Northamptonshire off-spinner Brown, who flies to Sri Lanka at the end of this month to join up with the England squad, has been troubled by a sore spinning finger from using the rougher seamed Kookaburra balls but selectors will be keen to play him to give him as much practice as possible before making his full England debut.

On the other hand, they are unlikely to take risks and will rest him if there is any chance his finger might suffer more abrasions, giving Schofield, who has had a disappointing year, the chance to repeat his success of the last England tour of Bangladesh and New Zealand, in which he was the leading wicket taker.

If the pitch looks suitable, both may play and an announcement will made later tonight over the final 12.

The West Indies B side will be skippered by Richie Richardson, the former West Indies captain who retired from international cricket in 1996. His side is a young one, featuring seven players who represented their country in the Under 19 World Cup in Sri Lanka last winter.

England A squad: Mark Alleyne, capt (Gloucestershire), John Crawley, vice-capt, (Lancashire), Ian Ward (Surrey) Usman Afzaal (Nottinghamshire) Vikram Solanki (Worcestershire), Aftab Habib (Leicestershire), Chris Read (Nottinghamshire), James Foster (Essex), Alex Tudor (Surrey), Chris Silverwood (Yorkshire), Paul Franks (Nottinghamshire), Jonathan Lewis (Gloucestershire), Ryan Sidebottom (Yorkshire), Jason Brown (Northamptonshire), Chris Schofield (Lancashire)

West Indies B squad: Richie Richardson, capt, Antigua, Andrew Gonsalves (Guyana), David Bernard (Jamaica), Kurt Wilkinson (Barbados), Tonito Willett (Nevis), Zaheel Ali (Trinidad and Tobago), Camilus Alexander (Grenada), Wayne Phillip (Dominica), Sulieman Benn (Barbados), Rodney Sooklal (Trinidad and Tobago), Reon Griffith (Guyana), Jermaine Lawson (Jamaica), Kenroy Peters (St Vincent Grenadines). Coach Gus Logie.

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