*Official** West Indies Regional 4-Day Thread!

Title holders Barbados have named a 13-man squad of experience and youth for their opening WICB Professional Cricket League (PCL) first-class match against Trinidad & Tobago at Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain, November 14-17.

The team will again be captained by opening batsman Kraigg Brathwaite, who is one of six players with Test experience.

The others who have played at the highest level are opener Omar Phillips, all-rounders Ryan Hinds and Dwayne Smith and fast bowlers Kemar Roach and Jason Holder.

There are also four current West Indies ‘A’ team players in fast bowling all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite, batting all-rounder Jonathan Carter, off-spinning all-rounder Ashley Nurse and pacer Miguel Cummins.

Talented wicket-keeper/batsman Shai Hope, all-rounder Roston Chase and left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican complete the squad.

Chairman of selectors Henderson Wallace confirmed in a brief interview with bcacricket.org that West Indies players, batsman Kirk Edwards and left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn, as well as regular wicket-keeper/batsman Shane Dowrich, are all nursing minor injuries and had been given “a bit more time to recuperate”.

Squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Carlos Brathwaite, Jonathan Carter, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Ryan Hinds, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Ashley Nurse, Omar Phillips, Kemar Roach, Dwayne Smith, Jomel Warrican.

Manager: Hartley Reid; Head Coach: Henderson Springer; Assistant coach: Dexter Toppin; Physiotherapist: Jacqueline King.

-BCA

RAYAD EMRIT has been officially named as captain of the Trinidad and Tobago cricket team, also known as the “Red Force” for the 2014-2015 Regional Four Day Tournament.

The 32-year-old Emrit replaced current West Indies Test team skipper Denesh Ramdin, while veteran middle-order batsman Jason Mohammed is fancied to be his deputy.

The Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) held a weekend retreat at the Cascadia Hotel, St Ann’s and, on Saturday night, officially accepted the recommendation of the local selection panel to ratify the appointment of Emrit as the captain.

The decision ended a week of controversy with the TTCB confirming, then denying, Ramdin’s declaration on Monday evening that he was stripped of the captain, on the basis of his perspective duties with the regional team for tours of South Africa, Australia and New Zealand between the months of December and March.

The “Red Force” will begin their Four Day campaign against Barbados at the Queen’s Park Oval, St Clair on Friday.

In related news, the Ramdin XI and the Mohammed XI battled to a draw in the fourth and final trial match yesterday, at the Oval.

The Ramdin XI closed Saturday’s first day on 311 runs for five wickets with Yannic Cariah unbeaten on 94, while fellow left-handers Justin Guillen (88), Nicholas Pooran (61) and Evin Lewis (22) all contributing.

Ramdin could only muster 15 while drafted player and ex-Guyana and West Indies captain Ramnaresh Sarwan was dismissed for seven.

Yesterday, the Ramdin XI declared on 396/6 with Cariah unbeaten on 116 (248 minutes, seven fours, three sixes) while Bryan Charles was at the other end on 24. Daron Cruickshank was dismissed for 51 (123 balls, five fours, one six).

For the Mohammed XI, left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein copped two wickets for 61 runs.

The Mohammed XI, at their turn at the crease, reached 159/5 when the game was called off, with Kjorn Ottley scoring 47, Vikash Mohan 35, Mohammed 34 and Mark Deyal 21. Hosein (14) and Imran Khan (nought) were the not out batsmen, while Charles, Cruickshank, Daniel St Clair, Strassark Sankar and Ricky Jaipaul got one wicket apiece.
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