TT face Windwards in WICB Under-17 opener
Monday, July 11 2016
WEST INDIES youth player Kirstan Kallicharan will be at the helm of the Trinidad and Tobago Under-17 team who will clash with defending champions Windward Islands in the opening round of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional Under-17 tournament at Gilbert Park, California, Couva today.
The match starts at 9.30 am.
Much is expected from 16-yearold Kallicharran and his vice-captain Cephas Cooper who together should rally the batting line-up as TT seek to regain the regional supremacy in this age group.
Kallicharran and Cooper are the twin-island republic’s two most exciting young prospects and their overall batting and bowling exploits will be huge factors to inspire their teammates.
Kallicharran was a member of the West Indies Under-19 team that celebrated global success with the ICC World Under-19 trophy earned when they defeated India in the grand finale in Bangladesh earlier this year.
The TT squad have been undergoing intensive training under the guidance of national youth coach Kelvin Williams at the National Cricket Centre (NCC), Balmain, Couva for the past two weeks.
All the players have also been exposed to training tips from TT ’s multiple world record-holder Brian Charles Lara and other former West Indies players Gus Logie, Raphick Jumadeen, David Williams, and Rajendra Dhanraj who shared their experiences with the hope of helping the youngsters improve their overall standard of play.
Lara’s expertise, as well as those of the other coaches, was made available courtesy TSTT and Blink bmobile who sponsored the specially-organised coaching sessions at the NCC.
The TT Under-17 team will start with distinctive advantage after having secured a morale-boosting four-wicket win over Windwards during their warm-up match at the NCC on Friday.
Trinidad and Tobago’s exciting win was fashioned by Cooper who produced a match-winning 46 after the visitors were bowled out for a paltry 117. TT made 118 for 6.
TT ’s starting XI will be chosen from
Kallicharran (captain), Cooper (vice-captain), Navin Bidaisee, Nathaniel McDavid, Leonardo Julien, Leonardo Francis, Brandon Singh, Crystian Thurton, Ronaldo Forester, Joshua James, Justyn Gangoo, Avinash Mahabirsingh, Te-Shawn Alleyne, Teron Jadoo, Matthew Patrick and Michael Ambard.
www.newsday.co.tt/sport/0,230384.html
