EXCERPTS FROM A JULY 19, 2017 CRICKET WEST INDIES MEDIA RELEASE
REGIONAL UNDER 19 SET TO BOWL OFF NEXT MONDAY (JULY 24) IN ST KITTS
CRICKET WEST INDIES 50-over TOURNAMENT BEGINS AUGUST 15, 2017
ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – Fresh from the Under 17 Regional Title, Trinidad and Tobago are ready to defend their title in the U19 three-day tournament, set to start in St Kitts, next Monday (July 24). Guyana will also defend their 50-over title, with that format beginning on Tuesday, August 15.
The three-day competition will have the teams from the six territories, while in the 50-over competition, the ICC Americas will field a team for a group of seven tournament.
Four venues will be used over the next six weeks by host country St Kitts, to effectively host both formats, with competition scheduled to end, Monday, August 28. The three-day format of this tournament will see the addition of two rounds for a total of five, as opposed to the three-round format used in previous years.
Following the Windies win in the Under 19 World Cup in Bangladesh last year, the team is gearing up for the World Cup Championships in New Zealand next year. Rawl Lewis, the officer in charge of youth development at Cricket West Indies notes this tournament as an important part of the calendar of events. “The Under 19 tournament is an integral part of the development of cricket in the West Indies. It is the final stage before first class cricket and many of our top players hone their skills here.” Fast-bowler Alzarri Joseph, one of the young and upcoming players on the Windies senior team is a prime example of this. Shimron Hetmeyer, former captain of the Under 19 team who secured the championship trophy last year, has also featured at the top of the order for the Windies test team as of late.
Dennis Phillip, president of the St Kitts Cricket Association says that preparations are well underway and venues will be ready for final inspection on Saturday July 22. Final rounds of meetings with event staff will be completed by this Friday afternoon. “As with everything, there are one or two kinks to be worked out, but we will be fully prepared on Monday”
*** UPDATE NOTE: Eddie Norfolk, Toronto, July 25, 2017
My understanding, subject to official confirmation, is that the Cricket Canada U19 team will represent ICC Americas in the 50-over tournament as a result of winning the recent ICC Americas Under-19 World Cup Qualifier.
The six Cricket West Indies territories taking part in the three-day tournament began playing the first of five rounds of three day games yesterday (July 24, 2017).
The schedule for the Cricket West Indies Under 19 One Day tournament is:
One Day
Round 1 Aug 15th
ICC Americas v Guyana -Verchilds
Leeward Islands v Trinidad & Tobago -Molineux
Windward Islands v Jamaica -Conaree
Round 2 Aug 17th
Barbados v Trinidad & Tobago -Conaree
Jamaica v ICC Americas -St. Pauls
Leeward Islands v Windward Islands -Molineux
Round 3 Aug 19th
Guyana v Jamaica -Molineux
Windward Islands v Barbados -Verchilds
Leeward Islands v ICC Americas -Conaree
Round 4 Aug 22nd
Windward Islands v Trinidad & Tobago -Molineux
Leeward Islands v Guyana -St. Pauls
ICC Americas v Barbados -Conaree
Round 5 Aug 24th
Leeward Islands v Jamaica -Verchilds
Trinidad & Tobago v ICC Americas -Molineux
Barbados v Guyana -Conaree
Round 6 Aug 26th
ICC Americas v Windward Islands -Molineux
Jamaica v Barbados -Warner Park
Guyana v Trinidad & Tobago-Conaree
Round 7 Aug 28th
Leeward Islands v Barbados -Conaree
Windward Islands v Guyana -Warner Park
Trinidad & Tobago v Jamaica -Molineux