No major changes in Windwards One Day squad

Selectors Julian Charles, Irvine Shillingford and Stanley Hinds must have had a hard time in selecting the Windwards senior one day team for the regional tournament, speculatively set for Jamaica or Guyana in November.{{more}}

With little to choose from, and with an outstandingly poor performance from the four nation grouping, the three former Windwards players simply had to choose the “best” of those who were on show in Dominica.

They finally saw the need to include three newcomers, Vincentian left arm leg spinner Alston Bobb, Dominican left handed middle order batsman Kevin James and right handed middle order/wicketkeeper batsman,19-year-old St. Lucian, Johnson Charles.

Retained as Windwards captain is Grenadian right arm leg spinner Rawl Lewis.

His countrymen, out of favour West Indies opener, left handed Devon Smith, the only person to make a century in the recent tournament; left arm orthodox spinner Dennis George, who snared 24 wickets in the two-day competition, and Nellon Pascal, the Windwards fastest bowler, complete the Spice Isle’s quartet.

The other Vincentians included are opener Miles Bascombe, Wicketkeeper batsman Linden James, and long standing player, left arm fast bowler Deighton Butler.

The Dominican quartet is completed by off spinner Shane Shillingford, left handed batsman Liam Sebastian, and right arm medium pacer Mervin Matthew. St. Lucian Darren Sammy, a right arm medium pacer, is also in the squad.

Placed in the reserves are St. Lucia’s Keddy Lesporis, a right handed opener, Vincentian Donwell Hector, a right handed middle order batsman; experienced Vincentian left arm seamer Kenroy Peters, as well as Grenadian Andre Fletcher, who did not participate in the Tournament.

Bobb and Charles have not been included in the team for the first four day match of the Carib Beer Series. Grenadian middle order batsman Gavin Roberts gets a call up in the 13.

The Windwards have two titles under their belt at the regional One Day level. They secured the then Geddes Grant title in 1989, and the Red Stripe Bowl in 2001.

The Windwards was the losing finalist against Trinidad and Tobago in the 2007 KFC Cup.

The 2008 Tournament was originally set for Florida in the USA, under new sponsors, but it was undermined by several logistical issues, along with the passage of Hurricane Gustav, which hampered preparations there. (RT)