Top young trio called up for Florida
Overseas-based trio Joshua Gilbert, Onias Bascome and Christian Burgess have made themselves available for Bermuda Under-18s ICC Americas Match Play tournament in Florida next month.All three have been given go-ahead from their respective club duties; Bascome from Warwickshire Under-18s, Gilbert from Acle CC, in Norfolk, and Burgess who is playing in Lincolnshire.One key omission is Somerset Cup Match player Kamau Leverock who is unavailable due to school commitments.Also included in the squad are four Somerset Cricket Club players along with three from St George’s and two from Southampton Rangers.David Moore will take charge of the team after Andre Manders was removed as the team’s head coach.“With the change in the qualifications procedures for the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup meaning that one team from the ICC Americas will definitely participate in the tournament, this is a wonderful opportunity to get meaningful competition and review the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition as we progress to the 2013 qualifying tournament,” said Moore.“This ICC Americas initiative has been lead by Andy Pick, ICC Americas Development Programme Officer.“This tournament is a wonderful step in the process of preparation for the Under 19 World Cup qualifying tournament next year. The players that have been chosen are performing well in both matches and in practice and are developing well as a unit.”“Unfortunately, Kamau Leverock is unavailable due to school commitments in the UK. On a positive we have been able to select Onias Bascome in the squad. Onias has been performing very well in the UK in the Warwickshire Under-18 squad. He has been released by Warwickshire and will fly and join the team. So too will Joshua Gilbert who is undertaking his National Junior Scholarship Award with Acle CC and Christian Burgess who is playing and training in Lincolnshire.“The timing of the team announcement was due to the consideration of player injuries, availability and commitment to matches and practices.”The Associate Members and Affiliate regional representatives of the International Cricket Council met on Monday in Kuala Lumpur and elected their representatives to sit on the ICC Board for the next two years.Of the five candidates who stood, the current representatives Neil Speight (Bermuda), Imran Khwaja (Singapore) and Keith Oliver (Scotland) were returned while Mark Stafford (Vanuatu) and P Krishnasamy (Malaysia) were unsuccessful.Neil Speight was voted to continue as the Chairman of the Associate and Affiliate Members by the 41 voting members.Bermuda squad: Onias Bascome, Christian Burgess, Zeko Burgess (St George’s), Seth Campbell, Tre Manders (Western Stars), Alex Dore, Christian Gibbons-Wade (Southampton Rangers), Kamel Easton, Joshua Gilbert, Kwasi James, Shaquille Jones (Somerset CC), Delray Rawlins, William White (PHC), Jordan Smith (Baileys Bay)