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We have come here to win and if we don't win, we haven't achieved our mission.

Hendy Springer isn't mincing his words ahead of today's Red Stripe Bowl final between title-starved Barbados and Jamaica.

But winning will not be easy. Jamaica are very worthy opposition and I've got a lot of respect for them and I am sure they have a lot of respect for us, the Barbados coach added.

Mindful of the fact that Barbados have not lifted a regional limited-overs Cup, Shield, Trophy, Bowl or whatever since 1988, Springer and his 14 players know that a drought of 14 years is too long for a nation which boasts of such a rich cricketing history.

It will be an unprecedented 13th final for Barbados, who are seeking a fourth title, which is a huge difference to the 17 they hold in first-class championships.

They return to Kaiser Sports Club on the scenic north coast of Jamaica, where they so narrowly failed to win the Bowl last year in a highly-competitive final against Guyana, with the knowledge that it is going to be no cake-walk in trying the overcome the fierce, unbeaten Jamaicans.

But one man who feels that this is Barbados' time is captain Courtney Browne.

If we don't win this year, I don't know when we'll win it again. That's the honest truth. This is the best chance we've got of winning the Bowl.

None of these Bajans would have been at Sabina Park when the Malcolm Marshall-led Barbados last won a regional limited-overs title in a heart-stopping final at Sabina Park nearly a decade-and-a-half ago.

But those like Browne, Philo Wallace and Floyd Reifer would have been there when Barbados were emerging as runners-up in the 1992, 1994 and 1995. And all but Vasbert Drakes, Dwayne Smith, Antonio Mayers and the sidelined Wallace were at Kaiser last season when the final was lost to Guyana by six wickets and 19 balls.

Having finally broken the 11-year, ten-match, non-winning streak against Guyana in Friday's semifinal, Barbados must feel they are on their way to claiming another piece of elusive material.

Everything is in place. The first thing that we had to do was get to the final and we are there. It's just a matter of sticking to the team plan and coming out and working hard as a unit, Browne said.

After such a monumental achievement against Carl Hooper's men, Barbados are bound to be on top of the world but they will not allow themselves to become complacent against opponents who have been the only ones to beat them thus far in the competition.

Jamaica beat us in the preliminaries, so I don't think there will be any room for complacency, Springer said. We've just got to come, work really hard and go one step up from the performances and we should come out on top.

It was a comment mirrored by Browne.

You are playing in Jamaica against Jamaica and everybody is going to be backing Jamaica. There is no time for complacency, Browne said.

Barbados are also almost certain to retain the same 11 in light of Dale Richards' knee injury. Unquestionably the most devastating batting team in the competition, they have passed 280 four times, including that remarkable final-round preliminary match when their 287 for seven in 47 overs was still 20 short of Jamaica's 308 for five in 50 overs.

We are lucky in the respect that we have played against Jamaica before, Springer said. We've seen how they perform. We can look at the form sheet of the guys who are playing, whereas with Guyana we just had to look at the scores from a distance.

With Jamaica, it may be a lot easier to plan for them, but the execution will be the important link.

Jamaica have beaten everyone they have faced and three of their matches have even ended just after 3 p.m. with the semifinal win against Trinidad and Tobago also finishing well inside the distance.

As they seek their first title since 1999, they can expect the support of a packed ground of about 6 000 fans.

The Jamaicans will be very challenging, Browne said. They are a very young and energetic team. They have a good attitude towards the game. For us to beat Jamaica, our attitude has got to be right and spot on.

© The Barbados Nation