Grant, Johnson in West Indies U-19 squad

Two Vincentians, both fast bowlers, have been selected to the West Indies Under-19 training squad to the world cup in Malaysia next year.

Dellorn Johnson and Dawnley Grant were named as part of the regional 20 man squad at the conclusion of the TCL tournament last week Saturday in St. Kitts.{{more}}

Johnson, a left arm bowler bagged nine wickets in the league competition, but had six more wickets in the one day competition. He had a four-wicket haul in the Windwards tied fixture with Guyana, which may have given him the nod.

Grant, the son of former St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Windwards and West Indies A opener, Dawnley Joseph, regarded as one of the more pacey bowlers at the tournament, was more of an automatic choice, with his sixteen wickets in the league format and had some useful scores. In total Grant finished with 175 runs.

St. Lucian Linden Lawrence was the other Windward Island player selected.

The selection panel was made up of former West Indies players, Gordon Greenidge, Andy Roberts and Clyde Butts, revealed that the squad was chosen mainly from the one day competition.

Among the twenty are players with first class experience. Guyanese captain Stephen Jacobs, who has been tipped to lead the regional team to their south eastern tour, his countryman Veersammy Permaul, Trinidad and Tobago’s Adrian Barath and Darren Bravo and Barbadian Shamarrh Brooks are those who have represented their country at the senior level.

Completing the provisional squad are Jamaicans Nkruma Bonner, Andre Creary, Jason Dawes, Horace Miller and Shayoca Thomas.

Also included are Kelbert Walters, Keiron Powell, Devon Thomas and Chesney Hughes from the Leeward Islands; Rashidi Boucher and Kyle Corbin of Barbados of and Guyanese Rajendra Chandrika.

The final team will be narrowed down to 15, when the captain and vice captain will also be officially named.

At the awards ceremony, most of the selectees copped the mains awards. In the league competition, Bravo was named the Most Outstanding Batsman and Brooks, the Most Outstanding Bowler. Brooks was also named the Best All-rounder. The award of Best Fieldsman was shared between Barath and his countryman Amal Nurse. Barbadian Renaldo Arthur was adjudged the Best Wicketkeeper.

The Best Batsman award in the one-day competition was taken by Horace Miller and Dawes, the Best Bowler.

Jacobs cashed in on the award of fielder and Hughes the Best All-rounder. Anthony Balglobin of Trinidad and Tobago and Devon Thomas shared the award of Best Wicketkeeper.

The 2007 version of the TCL Group of Companies annual tournament saw Guyana retaining the league title with Jamaica second and Trinidad and Tobago third. Barbados finished fourth, with Leewards fifth and the Windwards sixth.

Jamaica were crowned the one day young kings, beating Guyana in the final.