PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Outstanding teenaged left-hander Jordan Johnson will feature in the Combined Campuses and Colleges’ Regional Super50 Cup campaign, after being named in a 14-man squad.
The 18-year-old, who scored heavily on the West Indies Under-19s’ tour of Sri Lanka last month, will be joined by another of his teammates, 19-year-old fast bowler Isai Thorne. Former West Indies Test gloveman Shane Dowrich will lead the squad and will have at his disposal the services of speedster Chemar Holder, who played a single Test against New Zealand three years ago but has since fallen off the radar.
Head coach Floyd Reifer said he was pleased with the preparation undertaken by the group.
“We had a really good camp at UWI SPEC and the players all look ready for the tournament,” Reifer said.
“Last year it was good to be back, and we are happy to be here once again this year in the regional tournament. “What we want to do is to start planting the seed, so they can blossom. I know the brand of cricket we want to develop in West Indies cricket so we looked to inculcate that in our preparations and when we take to the field.” Jamaican Johnson struck three centuries and a fifty on the tour of Sri Lanka. He chalked up 105 in the second Youth One-Day International before hitting a magnificent 149 in his only innings of the opening Youth “Test”.
He followed up with a superb 52 and an unbeaten 157 in the second Youth “Test”, even though West Indies Under-19s crashed to a seven-wicket loss.
Thorne, meanwhile, grabbed 10 wickets across both formats on the Sri Lanka tour to enhance his growing reputation.
CCC will raise the curtain on the tournament when they clash with hosts Trinidad and Tobago Red Force at Queen’s Park Oval next Tuesday.
The Super50 Cup runs until November with games set for three venues here – Queen’s Park Oval, Brian Lara Stadium and the University of the West Indies Sport and Physical Education Centre (UWI SPEC).
SQUAD – Shane Dowrich (captain), Kadeem Alleyne, Jediah Blades, Romario Greaves, Chemar Holder, Johann Jeremiah, Jordan Johnson, Kirstan Kallicharan, Abhijai Mansingh, Shaqkere Parris, Akshaya Persad, Shatrughan RambaranDemario Richards, Isai Thorne.
