Jamaica Gleaner
Published: Thursday | October 15, 2009
Home : Sport
Creary heads WI U-19 squad

Creary

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

Jamaican all-rounder Andre Creary is the only survivor from the 2008 squad in a 12-man unit set to represent West Indies Under-19s at the upcoming WICB President's Cup and ICC 2010 Youth World Cup in New Zealand.

The TCL Group, backers of the regional U-19 tournament, confirmed Tuesday a sponsorship agreement with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) for sponsorship of the Windies U-19 World Cup team.

The squad will use its appearance at the October 28 to November 5 WICB Presi-dent's Cup in Guyana, as vital preparation for the 2010 ICC U-19 World Cup in New Zealand early next year.

A provisional 20-member squad had been selected in Jamaica at the end of this year's TCL Group Windies U-19 Cricket Challenge.

Makeshift team

Creary, initially called up for West Indies senior team duties when a makeshift team was assembled to face Bangladesh because of the players' union contracts dispute with the WICB, represented West Indies U-19s at the 2008 Youth World Cup but missed the 2009 TCL Challenge this past summer because of injury.

He is one of four players from champions Jamaica included in the squad along with Jermaine Blackwood, John Campbell and Akeem Dewar.

Prolific Barbadian 16-year-old, Kraigg Brathwaite, who stroked a double century in the Barbados Division One Championship last week, is one of the key batsmen in the squad.

Brathwaite was also picked on the West Indies senior squad in July and his Barbadian teammate Shane Dowrich has landed the wicketkeeping duties.

Trinidad & Tobago's impressive batting trio of Yannick Cariah, Evin Lewis and Yannick Ottley have also been included after solid performances in the summer tournament.

Guyanese batting star Trevon Griffith, the Leeward Islands' captain Kejel Tyson and the Windwards' all-rounder Dalton Polius complete the Windies U-19 squad.

Missing players

Players missing out from the original squad are Nelson Bolan, Kirk Harris, Nicholson Gordon, Patrick Harty, Jason Holder, Keon Joseph, Kelbert Walters and Jomel Warrican.

New WICB chief executive Ernest Hilaire has welcomed TCL's sponsorship of the young group.

"We are delighted at the TCL Group's ongoing sponsorship of the Regional U-19 Cricket Challenge," he said.

"And are even now more pleased that the company has sponsored the West Indies U-19 team for both the regional one day tournament and the ICC Youth U-19 Cricket World Cup," Hilaire added.

WINDIES U-19 SQUAD:

Andre Creary, Kejel Tyson, Trevon Griffith, Evin Lewis, John Campbell, Kraigg Brathwaite, Akeem Dewar, Yannic Cariah, Dalton Polius, Yannick Ottley, Jermaine Blackwood, Shane Dowrich.

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