KINGSTON, Jamaica -- A buoyant Bermuda will give international debuts to three players today when they challenge champions Trinidad and Tobago in the opening match of the Red Stripe Bowl at Chedwin Park in St Catherine's.

Opening batsman Dexter Basden, wicketkeeper/batsman Donald Norford and seam bowler Herbie Bascome will don the royal blue and blue (the tournament will be played in coloured clothing) along with eight other pumped-up players as Bermuda look to give Brian Lara and his men a rough ride.

A three-hour training session at the University of the West Indies yesterday afternoon apparently worked out all the kinks and coach Allan Douglas is expecting good things, starting from the first ball at 9.30 a.m. (11.30 a.m.

Bermuda time).

"The guys got a good workout on the field,'' said Douglas. "The fielding and catching was good and the batting looked even better; I was impressed with Anthony Amory and Dexter -- they were applying themselves greatly.

"Basically today we needed a good workout. Everybody was eager for it and this put them in a good physical and mental groove.'' Skipper Arnold Manders, in charge of the national team for the first time since the 1990 ICC Trophy tournament in Holland, was not completely impressed with the training facilities afforded his side, but that was his only cause for concern.

He said: "The training facilities are something like we are used to at home -- we hardly have any -- but otherwise we are in good shape. This is the first time we have been without injuries for this tournament. Everybody's loose and looking forward to the game.'' The squad arrived in Jamaica at about 3.00 p.m. local time on Thursday and were soon met with driving rain that lasted for the duration of the 45-minute journey to their Kingston hotel.

There were more scattered showers yesterday and a similar forecast for today gives Manders another problem should he win the toss.

"The key thing,'' he said, "is that we have some self-confidence and discipline because that's what it's going to take to win these matches here.

If we can limit our mistakes I think we have a chance of winning one of these matches.'' The match they'd most like to win comes next Saturday in the quarter-finals; victory there would extend the tour into a third week, dubbed Red Stripe Bowl Final Four Championship Weekend.

Both Bermuda and Jamaica yesterday attended a tournament breakfast -- Trinidad and the Windward Islands were treated to similar hospitality on Wednesday -- where organisers unveiled their plans, distributed team packages and sponsors Desnoes & Geddes were introduced.

Douglas, who was dazzled by the tournament trophy, was impressed and the players will do well to follow his enthusiastic approach.

"Things are running so smoothly,'' he said. "The hospitality is great, the management is top class and it sort of sets the wheels in motion to get the guys wanting to play. Things are looking really wonderful from that point of view and it just trickles on down.'' Then manager Randy Horton laid down the law on what is expected from the players on this tour as ambassadors of Bermuda.

Unruly behaviour will not be tolerated, nor will casual ignorance of team rules. The alternative is an early ticket home, which clearly has the players focussed on one thing -- and that's victory.

Bermuda (v Trinidad): Arnold Manders (captain), Albert Steede, Dexter Basden, Clay Smith, Anthony Amory, Janeiro Tucker, Lionel Cann, Donald Norford, Del Hollis, Roger Blades, Herbie Bascome. Reserves: Gregg Foggo, Irving Romaine, Cleon Scotland.

HERBIE BASCOME -- the seam bowler who performed so well in Cup Match this year faces a more formidable task today when he takes on the might of Brian Lara and company on his national team debut in Jamaica.