ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Under-19 World Cup stars Alzarri Joseph and Keacy Carty have been included in a Leeward Islands Hurricanes’ 13-man squad to face Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in Port of Spain, in the eighth round of the Regional first class championship starting tomorrow.
Both players played key roles in helping the region claim its first ever Under-19 World Cup title, then the Caribbean side beat India Under-19s in the final in Bangladesh.
Fast bowler Joseph was a standout in the tournament, bowling with consistent pace and movement to finish with 13 wickets.
He took three wickets in the final as part of an opening burst which crippled India early and set up the Windies eventual five-wicket win.
Joseph also played in four first class games in the currently season prior to the Youth World Cup, taking 17 wickets including a career-best eight for 62 in a low-scoring contest against Windward Islands Volcanoes at Windsor Park last November.
Carty, meanwhile, is now poised to make his first class debut. A middle order batsman with a good temperament, the right-hander was Man-of-the-Match in the Under-19 World Cup final with an unbeaten 52 which steered the Caribbean side to victory.
Joseph and Carty have been included at the expense of batsman Sherwin Peters and seamer Quinton Boatswain.
Hurricanes started the campaign with five straight defeats but are now unbeaten in the last two rounds after beating Jamaica Scorpions in the sixth round and drawing with Volcanoes in the last round.
They lie bottom of the standings on 36 points, five points of adrift of Volcanoes in fifth place. Title-holders Guyana Jaguars top the standings with 107 points.
SQUAD – Nkrumah Bonner (Captain), Orlando Peters (Vice Captain), Nelson Boland, Keacy Carty, Rahkeem Cornwall, Daron Cruickshank, Colin Hamer, Jahmar Hamilton, Montcin Hodge, Alzarri Joseph, Jeremiah Louis, Jacques Taylor, Gavin Tonge.
