Antiguan Batsman Lands Somerset Deal

Tue, Apr 8, '03

Aggressive Antiguan left handed batsman Amwa Prince is now in England as guest of the Somerset County Cricket Club following a sterling recommendation from the legendary Sir Vivian Richards, a former Somerset cricketer.

Prince is expected to play for the Somerset second eleven and on Sundays will be inserted into Seatons Cricket Club of Somerset. Prince's team in Antigua is also called Seatons.

Officials of his local club said the experience should do Prince a world of good as a season's development in England is the best thing, which could happen to an aspiring professional cricketer.

"Six months cricket in England will help Prince to reach his zenith much sooner than if he played six years of cricket in the Caribbean," said a club source.

He added that part of the problem, especially in the Leeward Islands, stems from the situation in which players from six islands find themselves competing for some 13 places on the team playing in the WICB first class competition.

"Further, Prince, to strengthen this argument, was the in-form batsman for the Antigua trials, but was constantly overlooked by the selectors at the higher level for some unknown reason. It is little wonder some of the local cricketers give up so easily without fulfilling their potential," the source added.

Prince, a private in the Antigua & Barbuda Police Force, is expected to play for his Somerset team immediately upon arrival at the club.

His stint was made possible through the Sir Frank Coaching Scheme.

* SOURCE: Antigua Sun.