Mc Coy, Pope continue Vincentian representation at ICC Under-19 World Cup

Left arm medium fast bowler Obed Mc Coy and left-handed opening batsman Gidron Pope have continued the Vincentian representation of the West Indies Under-19 cricket team at the ICC World Cup.

The two were confirmed last week as being selected on the regional team’s 15-member outfit for the Bangladesh outing from January 22 to February 14.{{more}}

They, along with Shimron Hetmyer (captain), Keemo Paul (vice-captain) and Tevin Imlach of Guyana, Kacey Carty and Alzarri Joseph (the Leewards), Shahid Crooks, Odean Smith and Michael Frew (Jamaica), Ryan John and Emmanuel Stewart, (Grenada/Windwards), Jyd Goolie and Kirstan Kallicharan, (Trinidad and Tobago) and Shamar Springer (Barbados) make up the squad.

The management team is composed of Dwain Gill – team manager; Graeme West – head coach; Corey Collymore – bowling coach; Khevyn Williams – physiotherapist; Neval Grazette – strength and conditioning trainer and Dinesh Mahabir – performance analyst.

Hetmyer and Joseph are the two with first class experience, having represented Guyana Jaguars and Leewards Hurricanes in the regional four-day Professional Cricket League.

Mc Coy, a member of local premier division club – Team Rivals and Pope, who plays for the News Spartans, join other Vincentians who have made the final cut at the biennial tournament which began in 1998, but which had a 10-year wait for the second edition.

The pair of right arm fast bowler Stephen John and left-handed middle order batsman Kenroy Martin were late call ups as replacements for the West Indies in South Africa in 1998.

Two years after, left arm medium fast bowler Kenroy Peters was part of the West Indies team when the tournament touched down in Sri Lanka.

It took another three hostings before St Vincent and the Grenadines had some representation. This time a right arm medium fast bowler Dawnley Grant and Delorn Johnson – a left arm medium fast bowler were on the trip to Malaysia in 2008.

Another Vincentian — Sunil Ambris, a right – handed opening/middle order batsman was selected for the Australia tournament of 2012.

And in 2014, right arm fast bowler Ray Jordan got a place on the Caribbean side’s sojourn to the United Arab Emirates.

In their latest attempt to lift the title, but prior to the start of the Under-19 World Cup, the young West Indians will take on Bangladesh in a three-match 50-over series in Dhaka, which will form part of their preparation.

Drawn in Group B, the West Indies plays England January 29 and on January 31, they meet Fiji.

Their final group stage match is versus Zimbabwe on February 2. All matches are carded for Chittagong.

From the preliminaries, the two top teams from the four groups go to the quarter-finals of the Super League, while the third and fourth places contest the consolation places.

The West Indies’ best placing in the tournament came in 2004, when they were runners-up to Pakistan.

There were, however, two third places gained in 1988 and 2010.

Their two last outings (2012 and 2014) saw the young West Indies team finishing in sixth position.(RT)