The national Under-15 and Under-19 cricket teams will be in action today as the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional U-15 and U-19 tournaments bowl off.
At the U-15 tournament in Jamaica, T&T will begin its title defence against the Windward Islands at Kensington, the team it edged to win the title last year. The team, which arrived in Jamaica yesterday, includes Kirstan Kallicharan, Nathaniel McDavid, Leonardo Julien and Crystian Thurton. The quartet was part of the championship team last year. This year the tournament will be a 50-over round robin competition, also featuring Leeward Islands, Barbados, Guyana and home team Jamaica. Last year the tournament was a two-day round robin competition.
In Guyana, the T&T U-19 unit led by opening batsman Jeremy Solozano, will also have to adapt to a new format. Last year a three-day round robin tournament was played featuring the six traditional teams, followed by a round robin 50-over competition including an ICC Americas team. This year each team will play only three matches in the three-day tournament compared to five rounds last year. The 50-over segment will remain the same with six rounds of action.
An experienced T&T line up will look to improve its performance.
Last year, T&T finished second in the three-day competition and third in the 50-over segment. Solozano, Camillo Carimbocas, Brian Christmas, Justin Joseph and Jesse Bootan were all part of the team last year. Coach Dasrath Maharaj is hoping to add his second regional title in as many years after leading the national U-17 team to the WICB U-17 title last year.
T&T U-19 SQUAD: Jeremy Solozano (captain), Amir Jangoo (vice-captain), Camillo Carimbocas, Brian Christmas, Keron Kanhai, Justin Joseph, Jesse Bootan, Shane Smith, Anderson Phillip, Jameel Maniram, Brandon Jaggernauth, Akil Seetal, Tevon Jadoo, Samuel Roopnarine, Dasrath Maharaj (coach), John Lewis (manager)
U-19 First Round Three-day Fixtures: Today–Thursday
T&T vs Windward Islands at Enmore
Barbados vs Jamaica at Everest
Guyana vs Leeward Islands at National Stadium
T&T U-15 SQUAD: Joshua James, Gereeb Louis, Kirstan Kallicharan, Nathaniel McDavid, Leonardo Julien, Teshawn Alleyne, Cephas Cooper, Brandon Singh, Justyn Gangoo, Avinash Mahabirsingh, Crystian Thurton, Kyle Madoo, Navin Bedaisee, Enrique Singh, Glen Dwarika (coach), Anthony Ramjit (manager)
U-15 First Round 50-over Fixtures
T&T vs Windward Islands at Kensington
Guyana vs Leeward Islands at Melbourne
Jamaica vs Barbados at Up Park Camp
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