FLORENCE HALL, Jamaica – Patience and persistence, they say, are the providers of progress which Rahkeem Cornwall continues to learn every time he takes the field.

The 24-year-old from Antigua was the most successful Windies “A” bowler in the second “Test” against Sri Lanka “A” which ended in three days last Saturday at the Trelawny Multiplex.

Cornwall collected 2-85 and 5-107, moving his aggregate for the series to 13, but the home team lost the second “Test” by a whopping 280 runs to leave the three-match series level 1-1 and set up a final showdown under lights, starting on Thursday at Sabina Park.

“Our performance was not up to standard,” he told CWI Media. “We did not bat well enough to keep the Sri Lankans out of the game and win the series in the second match.

“The pitch was spin-bowling friendly. I got seven wickets and (Malinda Pushpakumara) got 12, so the result hinged on whichever team batted the spin well – Sri Lanka did it and we did not, so they won.”

It's been a while since I have been questioning the non selectin of Cornwall on the West Indies senior team because the man is a very good batsman, good bowler, and the man can field as he keeps proving time and time again. Is it because he is from the small island of Antigua? In fact there are three players on the West Indies A team that would have been on the senior team had they been from Barbados. I am referring to Sunil Ambris, who can bat and wicketkeeper, Hamilton, who is no doubt the best wicketkeeper batsman we have in the region, by a very wide margin and Cornwall. Unfortunately they are all small islanders and as such they have to perform four times better than those Bajans to even be considered.

In reply to sandisha

i guess he;s doing his bits to make the island bigger

Sunil will get his opportunity soon. I just hope he grabs it with both hands because we need a reliable middle order batsman.

Hamilton still is there but still has to prove he deserves it. Not looking so good on this A team tour.

Cornwall need to lose weight. Plain and simple. He can play for sure but at the highest level his weight will show him up. He would be a liability. But that being said I have lots of time for him. They aren't many I can see in front of him to make the senior team. If he loses the weight I can see him making the team.