CUL DE SAC--Of the four U15 cricketers who were picked to participate in the Leeward Islands training camp in Antigua, three were selected to represent the Leeward Islands.
Early Friday morning, Leeward Islands Cricket Operations Manager Vernon Springer made the announcement. The three players are Randel Longville, Nathan Edward and Devanand Singh.
Longville, who is a wicket-keeper batsman, was also named the vice-captain of the team. Longville has a strong Spanish-speaking background and could had easily have gravitated towards baseball. But usually he demonstrates a strong passion for cricket. He is also knowledgeable about the game and is good at developing strategies to get batsmen out. The 14-year-old is expected to perform well in the team.
Edward turns 14 next month but has matured quickly during the last nine months. He is a left arm seamer who has troubled many of the senior batsmen with his sharp in-swinging deliveries. He is also a stylish left-handed batsman. At present, he is the leading run scorer of the Future Champs in the ongoing Twenty20 tournament.
Edward will be a vital member of the team in the batting and bowling department.
Singh is 12 years old and has shown the ability to develop into a solid batsman. At present, he is the opening batsman for Future Champ and usually has the responsibility of seeing off the new ball bowlers. He also bowls leg break with much accuracy. The Leeward Islands team is expected to benefit largely from his batting skills at the top of the inning.
T'yanick Honore, at 13 years was the player not selected for the Leeward Islands team.
The three players will remain in Antigua for continued preparation with the coaches as the team now prepares for the start of Cricket West Indies U15 tournament in Antigua. The tournament bowls off on April 11 with teams from Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and the Windward Islands vying for championship honours.
Cricket St. Maarten sends out special congratulations to all three players and wishes them the best in the tournament. “Honore is encouraged to keep believing in himself because he has the talent to succeed as a cricketer,” the board noted.
