Regional 4-Day, Round 1, squads
St John’s, Antigua – Defending Regional 4-Day champions, Barbados, will have a much younger and more inexperienced captain when they bowl off their 2014 First Class season against the Windward Islands.
Kraigg Brathwaite takes over from Kirk Edwards in a bold move by the Barbados Cricket Association to change the captaincy in both the First Class and 50-over formats. Brathwaite will also be taking over from One Day skipper, Kevin Stoute, who captained the Bajans to NAGICO Super50 success in February.
Their opponents, the Windward Islands, boast a similar team from the one that started the First Class season so strongly in 2013. The likes of Devon Smith, captain Liam Sebastien and Andre Fletcher are all in the mix.
Out of favour West Indies batsman, Johnson Charles, will also get a chance to put some First Class matches under his belt while Mervin Mathew has earned a call-up after impressing in the NAGICO Super50.
Across at Warner Park, Steven Jacobs switches his attention to the longer form of the game after a not so desirable start to captaincy of the College Students in the NAGICO Super50.
Most of the names that were instrumental in the CCC’s success last season, such as Akeem Dewar, Raymon Reifer, Shacaya Thomas and Anthony Alleyne are back for the students.
They take on a Leeward Islands team low on confidence. Devon Thomas takes over the captaincy of the team from Kieran Powell, who is on West Indies duty.
Seventeen year old pacer, Alzarri Joseph has gotten his maiden call-up to the Leewards team and will be looking to kick start his regional career with an impressive performance.
Finally, the big match of Round 1 sees powerhouse Jamaica and Guyana face each other in Kingston. Newly appointed Guyana skipper, Leon Johnson, was forced out of the first round of matches due to a knee injury.
Veteran West Indies batsman, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, will lead the Guyana team in his absence. Guyana have both experience and extreme quality within their ranks.
It’s a virtual Test team with the likes of Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Assad Fudadin, Narsingh Deonarine and Davendra Bishoo in the squad. Selecting a Final XI could be a challenge for the coaches.
The Jamaicans aren’t far behind either. Tamar Lambert will lead the home team with the big news coming that pacer Jerome Taylor is back in the squad. This will be Taylor’s first real test of fitness after impressing in the NAGICO Super50.
Andre Russell will also bring his allround abilities to the Jamaican team.
Here is the full list of the squads for Round 1 of the Regional 4-Day tournament:
Guyana: Shivnarine Chanderpaul (Captain), Christopher Barnwell, Anthony Bramble, Assad Fudadin, Amir Khan, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Narsingh Deonarine, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo, Ronsford Beaton, Keon Joseph, Vishaul Singh
Jamaica: Tamar Lambert (Captain), David Bernard Jr., Carlton Baugh, Jerome Taylor, Andre Russell, Sheldon Cotterell, Andre McCarthy, Jermaine Blackwood, John Campbell, Nkrumah Bonner, Andrew Richardson, Jamie Merchant, Horace Miller
Combined Campuses & Colleges: Steven Jacobs (Captain), Chadwick Walton, Anthony Alleyne, Ryan Austin, Kyle Corbin, Akeem Dewar, Kavem Hodge, Kevin McClean, Floyd Reifer, Raymon Reifer, Shacaya Thomas, Jomel Warrican, Kesrick Williams
Leeward Islands: Devon Thomas (Captain), Sylvester Joseph (vice captain), Jahmar Hamilton, Montcin Hodge, Alzarri Joseph, Anthony Martin, Mali Richards, Lyndell Richardson, Akeem Saunders, Gavin Tonge, Hayden Walsh, Kelbert Walters, Tonito Willett
Barbados: Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain), Sulieman Benn, Tino Best, Carlos Brathwaite, Rashidi Boucher, Jonathan Carter, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Shane Dowrich, Shai Hope, Ashley Nurse, Kevin Stoute, Kenroy Williams
Windward Islands: Liam Sebastien (Captain), Andre Fletcher (vice captain), Alston Bobb, Johnson Charles, Lindon James, Delorn Johnson, Keddy Lesporis, Mervin Matthew, Nelon Pascal, Kenroy Peters, Dalton Polius, Devon Smith, Tyrone Theophile
Schedule of matches
(All scheduled start times are local times; NOTE–Jamaica is 1 hour behind the Eastern Caribbean)
ROUND 1
Friday, February 28 to Monday, March 3
Windward Islands vs Barbados – Beausejour Cricket Ground, St. Lucia (3 pm daily)
Jamaica vs Guyana – Sabina Park, Jamaica (10 am daily)
Saturday, March 1 to Tuesday, March 4
Leeward Islands vs Combined Campuses & Colleges – Warner Park, St. Kitts (10 am daily)
ROUND 2
Friday, March 7 to Monday, March 10
Trinidad & Tobago vs Windward Islands – Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad (10 am daily)
Guyana vs Barbados – Guyana National Stadium, Guyana (3 pm daily)
Leeward Islands vs Jamaica – Warner Park, St. Kitts (3 pm daily)
ROUND 3
Thursday, March 13 to Sunday, March 16
Guyana vs Windward Islands – Guyana National Stadium (10 am daily)
Friday, March 14 to Monday, March 17
Combined Campuses & Colleges vs Barbados – Three Ws Oval, Barbados (3 pm daily)
Trinidad & Tobago vs Leeward Islands – Queen’s Park Oval (3 pm daily)
ROUND 4
Friday, March 21 to Monday, March 24
Combined Campuses & Colleges vs Guyana – Three Ws Oval (3 pm daily)
Jamaica vs Windward Islands – Sabina Park (10 am daily)
Barbados vs Trinidad & Tobago – Kensington Oval, Barbados (10 am daily)
ROUND 5
Friday, March 28 to Monday, March 31
Jamaica vs Barbados – Sabina Park (10 am daily)
Trinidad & Tobago vs Combined Campuses & Colleges – Queen’s Park Oval (3 pm daily)
Windward Islands vs Leeward Islands – Queen’s Park, Grenada (10 am daily)
ROUND 6
Friday, April 4 to Monday, April 7
Trinidad & Tobago vs Jamaica – Queen’s Park Oval (3 pm daily)
Windward Islands vs Combined Campuses & Colleges – Arnos Vale Multiplex, St. Vincent (10 am daily)
Leeward Islands vs Guyana – Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, Antigua (10 am daily)
ROUND 7
Friday, April 11 to Monday, April 14
Guyana vs Trinidad & Tobago – Guyana National Stadium (10 am daily)
Leeward Islands vs Barbados – Vivian Richards Cricket Ground (3 pm daily)
Combined Campuses & Colleges vs Jamaica – Three Ws Oval (10 am daily)
SEMIFINALS
Saturday, April 19 to Tuesday, April 22
Semi-final 1: 1st vs 4th – To be hosted in the territory of 1st
Semi-final 2: 2nd vs 3rd – To be hosted in the territory of 2nd
THE FINAL
Friday, April 25 to Monday, April 28
Winner Semi-final 1 vs Winner Semi-final 2 – To be hosted by higher placed team from the preliminary round