Bermuda bank on teenagers
Two days after the ‘old boys’ turned over the MCC at Somerset Cricket Club, the next generation get their chance to shine at the National Sports Centre.Teenagers Lateef Trott, Tre Manders and Kamel Easton are all in today’s side for the first of three 50-over matches between the two teams, with the next at Bailey’s Bay on Sunday and the last back at the NSC next Tuesday.With the likes of Malachi Jones, Stefan Kelly, Jason Anderson, Terryn Fray Rodney Trott, Delyone Borden and Lionel Cann unavailable for one reason or another, the younger players are likely to get a greater level of exposure on this tour, something that will ultimately help prepare them for the battle to return to Division Two of the World Cricket League in 2013.Despite being around for several years, Joshua Gilbert only turned 18 last week and that means that four of the Bermuda team that will take to the field this morning, Trott (16), Manders (16), Easton (16) and Gilbert, are all 18-years-old or younger.“It would always be nice if you could play with what you would perceive to be your strongest team, which are the more experienced players but whenever you get an opportunity to see a young guy perform against quality opposition you can only take that as a positive,” said Bermuda head coach David Moore.“It’s an opportunity for these younger guys that they may not normally get to play in the national team, so it’s up to them to make every post a winner.”While one of the MCC’s stated aims in sending out touring teams is to help develop cricket, Moore said he would still rather be fielding a team with a greater proportion of experienced players.“We’ve got to be wise in how we choose the teams because we don’t want to throw too many kids to the slaughter if they’re not quite up to the task,” he said.“These guys (MCC) are good cricketers and they’re not holding anything back so we’re in a situation where we have to carefully select who’s going to be playing and who has the skill level to actually play against these guys.”Of the other members of David Moore’s starting XI, Sammy Robinson has also benefited from the absences and the St David’s all-rounder will play in his first 50-over game for Bermuda in a three-pronged spin attack that also includes Manders and Gilbert.“We’re fortunate in one way where we have a number of weekend games where (senior) players can get off (work) but on the other side of the coin it’s a little bit more difficult to get them off when we’re trying to balance that and Dubai,” said Moore.MCC, meanwhile, come into the game on the back of a heavy defeat at the hands of some of those experienced cricketers, but skipper Craig Wright said his players were probably more suited to the 50-over game and were looking forward to getting back to winning ways.The tourists are expected to make a couple of changes to the side that played on Monday night with fast bowler Tim Van Noort likely to get his first start after stiffness in his neck prevented him playing in the first two games.Bermuda: D Hemp, D Stovell, F Crockwell, T Manders, C Foggo, D Minors, J Gilbert, S Robinson, K Easton, L Trott, K Hodsoll.MCC (from): C Wright, M Baer, C Benham, A Birley, C De Weymarn, A Geldenhuys, R Gilbert, S Hobson, W Jones, J Knappett, P Muchall, C Thompson, T Van Noort.