Joseph leads strong Windies

Former Test player Sylvester Joseph will lead the West Indies ‘A’ team against the touring England ‘A’. As his charge is a squad containing a total of eight players with international experience. Aside from Joseph, other former internationals include Dave Mohammed, Jermaine Lawson, Tino Best, Narsingh Deonarine, Marlon Samuels, Ryan Hinds, and Carlton Baugh jr.

Henderson Springer is the coach of a team which contains just two unfamiliar names, in Jamaican fast bowler Andrew Richardson and Bajan top order player, Dale Richards. Young batsmen Sewnarine Chattergoon (Guyana, 24) and Lendl Simmons (Trinidad and Tobago, 21) return to ‘A’ team service, with the latter selected to the squad for the third time.

Prospective allrounder, Trinidad and Tobago’s Richard Kelly (21) has been selected to the ‘A’ team for the second consecutive year, in his second year of First Class cricket. Some were surprised that Kelly did not make the senior squad currently on tour in New Zealand, following a strong start to the Carib Beer Series.

One of the leaders of the bowling attack will be Dave “Tadpole” Mohammed, whose 28 wickets led all West Indian bowlers in this year’s First Class season. The left-arm legspinner was the mainstay of the Trinidad and Tobago attack, as the team ultimately pressed home to its first regional First Class title in 21 years. Mohammed played two Tests for the West Indies in 2003 and 2004, one of which was against the England senior team.

Having been sacked by their regional teams, Jamaica and Barbados respectively, fast bowlers Jermaine Lawson and Tino Best return to the fray of international cricket. Both players toured Australia late last year, but failed to impact during very limited opportunity in the Carib Beer Series, and were consequently not selected to the senior team.

A notable omission from the team is that of Mervyn Dillon, who returned to the T&T team in the last match of the preliminary round of the Carib Beer Series. He took 8 for 65 in the match, against Barbados, and bowled his team to a historic 264-run victory.

The English tourists will play two “Tests” and five One Day matches against their West Indian counterparts.

West Indies ‘A’ squad
Sylvester Joseph (captain), Lendl Simmons, Siewnarine Chattergoon, Ryan Hinds, Narsingh Deonarine, Marlon Samuels, Carlton Baugh jr. (wicketkeeper), Richard Kelly, Dave Mohammed, Tino Best, Jermaine Lawson, Andrew Richardson, Dale Richards.