T Becca: Jamaica on the attack (23 Sep 1998)

23 September 1998

Jamaica on the attack

Tony Becca

Jamaica's national cricket selectors yesterday hinted that the country's bid to win the 1998 Red Stripe Bowl will be based on attack.

In a bold move, the selectors, chairman Basil Williams, Ruddy Williams and Linden Wright, have included three newcomers, three batsmen, in the 14-man squad for the regional limited-over cricket tournament - and in Christopher Gayle, Raymond Ferguson and Howard Harris, they are all attacking batsmen.

The three players, along with fast bowler Franklyn Rose, who was unavailable, and right-arm legspinner Brian Murphy, who was not selected, replace Leon Garrick, Carl Wright, Gareth Breese, Oniel Richards and Audley Sanson from the team which returned from the Commonwealth Games where they won one match and lost two.

Missing from the squad is veteran fast bowler Courtney Walsh who was unavailable for the Commonwealth Games and who is unavailable for the first two matches of the Red Stripe Bowl.

Led by senior batsman James Adams, the squad comprises batsmen, Christopher Gayle, Wavel Hinds, Robert Samuels, Raymond Ferguson, Howard Harris and Tony Powell, allrounder Laurie Williams who bowls pace, wicketkeeper Andre Coley, pacers Franklyn Rose and Kirk Powell, right-arm legspinner Brian Murphy, right-arm offspinner Nehemiah Perry and left-arm spinner Ryan Cunningham.

Gayle - the 18 year old Jamaica Youth, West Indies and Lucas left-handed opening batsman, is one of the country's brightest prospects and was expected to represent Jamaica in the four-day President's Cup earlier this year before he was called into the West Indies Youth team for the Youth World Cup in South Africa and Harris - the sensational middle-order batsmen from St. Ann and Middlesex, won a place following some electrifying hitting during the recently concluded County Championships.

Ferguson, from Kingston Club, finally wins a place after years of knocking at the door.

"This is a lovely combination," said Basil Williams, chairman of the selection committee, yesterday. "One disappointment is that we did not have enough time to train. The other is that Courtney will not be with us at the start. I am sure, however, that the guys will give their best, and I am hoping that we will still be in it when Courtney joins us."

Chairman Williams was, in fact, confident that Jamaica will win the contest.

"There was a time when we used to dominate this tournament. We have not done so for a long time. This could be it. We have a nicely balanced squad, some lovely, attacking batsmen, and we should win. We are going to win."

Jamaica's opening match will be against the US at Chedwin Park, Wednesday, October 7.

Source :: The Jamaica Gleaner (https://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/)