by Terry Finisterre
West Indies Under-19 off-spinning all-rounder Tarrique Edward headlines a group of six Saint Lucians set to represent the Windward Islands at the Cricket West Indies Rising Stars Men’s Under-19 Championship.
The tournament gets underway at the Sion Hill Playing Field in St Vincent and the Grenadines, a three-day encounter against Guyana. Jamaica are the defending champions.
Edward, who turns 20 in October, compiled 29 runs in three innings and captured four wickets with his right arm offbreak as West Indies made the Super Six phase of the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup in January and February of this year.
Tarrique, Saint Lucia’s captain, was second with an aggregate of 149 runs, a top score of 68, and an average of 37.25 at the WINLOTT Inc. Windward Islands Men’s Under-19 Super 50 tournament held in Dominica last April.
Grenada dethroned Saint Lucia as champions. Notwithstanding, the 2022 and 2023 winners had the most selections on the sub-regional team for 2024.
Tarrique is joined by Theo Edward (no relation). Theo was the leading batsman at April’s tournament, with 188 runs, a top score of 81 not out, and an average of 37.6. The younger Edward leapt to prominence at the tail end of 2022, when he set scoring records at the Windwards Under-15 competition.
Along with Tarrique, all-rounder Kevin Gassie is a returning player. Gassie is another genuine all-rounder, a left-handed batsman and right-handed medium pacer. In April, Gassie took 10 wickets, 10th-most for the tournament, at an average of 15.
Set to make his U19 regional debut is Lee John, the leading wicket-taker in the Windwards series, with 14 wickets at an average of 9.86, to go along with 114 runs, a top score of 55, and an average of 28.5, having amassed the 10th-most runs.
Former Windward Islands Under-15 wicketkeeper-batsman Stephen Abraham, as well as all-rounder Aaron Joseph, make the transition to the Under-19 ranks.
Of note, Tarrique Edward, Gassie, and John are all part of the Saint Lucia Cricket High Performance Centre, a collaboration between the national governing body and the Government of Saint Lucia.
The HPC also includes former West Indies youth selectees Johnnel Eugene, Kimani Melius, and Ackeem Auguste, as well as current West Indies women’s players Zaida James and Qiana Joseph.
FULL WINDWARD ISLANDS SQUAD: Stephan Pascal (DMA), Theo Edward (LCA), Divonie Joseph (GRN), Earsinho Fontaine (DMA), Stephen Abraham (LCA), Tarrique Edward (LCA), Kirt Murray (GRN), Kirtsen Murray (GRN), Kervin Gassie (LCA), Jelani Joseph (DMA), Rickell Sylvester (GRN), Kirtney Franklyn (VIN), Aaron Joseph (LCA), Lee John (LCA).
PHOTO from social media
