West Indies Under-15 Rising Stars team completed its summer tour of England last weekend, winning two out of their four completed games, with rain forcing the other matches to be abandoned.
This tour was the fifth consecutive summer tour to England by the West Indies Under-15 team. It is a reward for the top performing young players in the West Indies Rising Stars Under-15 Championship tournament held in Antigua this April, that was won by Trinidad and Tobago.
Steve Liburd, West Indies Under-15 Coach and CWI School’s Cricket Development Officer: “This year didn’t go perfectly as planned because a few of the matches were rain affected. Otherwise the tour was a very important one in the player development pathway for young caribbean cricketers”, said Liburd who represented the Leeward Islands in domestic cricket.
He continued: “Playing cricket in England is very different to play in Caribbean, it challenges technique more and gives you a better perspective of your overall game, so it is ideal that these guys got that experience that now. The players adjusted really well and I have to commend them for that, which is most pleasing as a coach.”
Of the 13-member squad, nine were getting their first experience playing cricket in England and Coach Liburd further spoke on some players to watch who impressed on tour.
JUSTIN JAGESSAR: “Because he scored a century and a half-century was an obvious standout from a batting perspective.”
MAVENDRA DINDYAL AND JORDAN JOHNSON: “Mavendra Dindyal (toured England last year) and Jordan Johnson from Guyana and Jamaica respectively, looked the part every time they batted also. As young players at this stage it’s all about learning to convert scores while enjoying the game.”
NATHAN SEALEY: “Co-captain Nathan Sealey has good potential to develop as a genuine all-rounder because he bowls good left-arm spin and contributes down the order as a batsman.”
KAMARIO GRANT: “Kamario has a Kieron Pollard-like hitting ability. That is notable because it’s a special skill that you can’t teach.”
Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams commenting on the tour said: “I am really pleased that the cream of our Under-15 players have had this opportunity and have been exposed in a competitive environment. The fact that they have had this opportunity in a foreign environment is an added plus as it gives CWI a better idea of the strength and potential of these young players.”
The Rising Stars Under-15 programme will next see action around the Easter period in 2020, with the six main regional franchises participating in the West Indies Rising Stars Under-15 Championship.
Summarised scores from matches played:
At Willesden, August 8: West Indies Under-15 won by 165 runs. West Indies U-15 285-5 off 40 overs (Justin Jagessar 159, Mavendra Dindyal 37) v South Hampstead 120 all out off 26.3 overs (Andrew Rambarran 3-9 from 4 overs, Jordan Johson 2-35 from 7 overs, Isaiah Thorne 2-20 from 3 overs).
At Northampton Saints, August 11: No Result. West Indies Under-15 248-6 off 44.2 overs (Jordan Morris 95 not out, Mavendra Dindyal 64, Kamario Grant 46)
At Eastcote, August 12 (1st Twenty 20): England SW & London & East Regions U-15s won by 59 runs. England SW & London & East Regions U-15s 212 off 20 overs v West Indies U-15 153-7 off 20 overs (Mavendra Dindyal 35, Jordan Johnson 28)
(2nd Twenty 20): England SW & London & East Regions U15s won by 10 wickets. West Indies U-15 121/7 off 20 overs (Kamario Grant 50 not out) v England SW & London & East Regions U15s 122-0 off 13.1 overs
At Shenley, August 18: West Indies Under-15 won by 109 runs. West Indies U-15 211 all out off 39.5 overs (Justin Jagessar 51, Jordan Johnson 39, Andrew Rambarran 38) v Barmy Army Colts U-15 102 all out off 37.2 overs (Jordan Johnson 3-17 from 7 overs, Isaiah Thore 2-8 from 5 overs, Nathan Sealy 2-21 from 8 overs)
