Trinidad and Tobago have been crowned champions of the West Indies Cricket Board’s Under-15 Championships. On Sunday, the home team recorded victory by 81 runs over Guyana to end the week-long tournament on a three-way tie on eight points with Guyana and Jamaica. With net run rate determining the winner, Trinidad and Tobago won with a run-rate of +1.32, Jamaica finished on +1.03 and Guyana, +0.68.
The West Indies selectors have pulled several surprises in the West Indies 15 man for the ICC World Twenty20 Tournament. The Clyde Butts-led panel has shown a clear preference for experience as they recalled veteran batsman Wavell Hinds while ignoring the young Trinidadian trio of Adrian Barath, Darren Bravo and Lendl Simmons.
The West Indies Cricket Board has unveiled today what they are proclaiming is part of "a new era under Chief Executive Officer Dr Ernest Hilaire". Two months after hiring a Marketing Consultant, the board has produced an impressive booklet outlining its plans for re-energizing region cricket. Possibly the most significant announcement is of two regional Twenty20 tournaments, one of which will feature four regional teams and four overseas teams.
From the announcement:
Aside from the annual Regional Four-day and One-Day tournaments, the Board is launching two spectacular new T20 events and an exciting Beach Cricket project that will help to rejuvenate interest in the game particularly among children and the younger audiences – aged 18 to 24.
"He has got to fill out yet because he is only a young man but he has great bounce, nice rhythm and he’s got his own action."
"But he got the ball to do a little bit and he bowled intelligently. You know, Twenty20 cricket, though it’s an aggressive form of the game, you’ve got to think on your feet. He did that. He struggled a little bit at the end when he had to alter things at the death of the innings but he will learn that quickly and he looks like a young man who really wants to move on in the game. He’s got plenty of talent"
The West Indies Cricket Board has released the fixtures and squads for the upcoming Under-15 limited overs tournament. The tournament, which starts on Monday, will be hosted in Trinidad. All matches are 50 overs per side and start at 9.30 am local time.