The future is looking bright for cricket in St. George's as two promising youngsters Oronde Bascome and Christian Burgess received good news this past week. Oronde has been named St. George's Cup Match captain for the 2010 classic while Christian has been called up to represent the Bermuda national cricket team. Bermuda rest assured these two young men will be on the cricket circuit for years and years to come.

Oronde is a St. George's boy at heart, born and raised wearing blue and blue. He knows what Cup Match means to the St. George's fans. Yesterday he was officially named St. George's Cup Match captain for the 2010 classic. It is our hope at St. George's that Oronde will lead our team for the next decade.

As coach of St. George's I had the privilege of talking one on one with Oronde and here are his comments.

Q: What does it mean to be captain of St. George's for the Cup Match classic?

A: To be totally honest words cannot explain what it means to me to be captain of Cup Match for St. George's Cricket Club. It brings out many emotions for me. I look at a lot of previous captains of this event and they are players that I admire tremendously so it is an honour to know that other players are looking at me the same way. Leading up to Cup Match I am looking at this title as a job and I will be able to answer this question in more depth once the match is over and once I have experienced the classic as captain of St. George's Cricket Club.

Q: As probably the youngest captain ever in Cup Match what would be your dream start?

A: My dream start would be a victory. I believe that even though I am one of the youngest captains for St.George's I will not be looking to achieve things for my personal benefit. So to answer your question my dream start for my first year as captain will be to allow the fans of St. Geroge's to experience a victory.

Q: Is this a position that you dreamed about as a kid?

A: My first dream as a child was to actually to play Cup Match. I have already fulfilled that ambition, so to be acknowledged as captain of St. George's is more of an honour than a dream for me.

Q: Do you feel the captaincy will bring added pressure and if so how will you handle the pressure?

A: Definitely, I believe that any player that has captained the Cup Match Classic will be lying if they said that they did not feel any added pressure (especially for St. George's). I believe in order for me to handle the pressure of captaining Cup Match I will have to come into the match well-prepared. I am reading a lot of books and also picking the brains of previous captains of this event in order to prepare myself. To be honest I am very confident in my talent, my knowledge of the game and also very confident in my selection committee along with my players to retain the cup, along with winning it.

Next we have Christian Burgess. At the tender age of 16, Christian has broken into the Bermuda national squad and by no means is he out of place. While this is a major step up for Christian I have no doubt that within a year or two he will be more than comfortable playing at this level. Bermuda, this kid may be raw but he has the talent and potential to be Bermuda's number one keeper.

In St.George's he is often referred to as the next Dean Minors. Although those are some big shoes to fill, we in St. George's know that he has the capability and the skills to be just as good as, if not better, than Dean. When one looks at Christian they see the similarities to Dean. He is a left-handed batsman just like Dean and he loves to hit the ball. He believes in his ability, and is already making huge strides in becoming a first-class player. In time he will develop his own identity because of his confidence, commitment and never-say-die attitude. What makes Christian a joy to coach is that he is a willing learner, hardworking and is keen to make adjustments to improve his game.

After his first four-day game and experience with Bermuda against UAE I had the opportunity to talk with Christian.

Q: What was the feeling like walking onto the field for the first time representing Bermuda at the senior level?

A: I was nervous and excited, but mostly excited. All I could think of was that I am playing at the highest level.

Q: Were you shocked by the standard of your opposition?

A: Yes it was a big jump from club cricket, but I feel I can play at that level with a bit more experience.

Q: Having seen what international cricket is like what do you feel you have to do to get to the next level as a player?

A: I have to train harder and perform better at both batting and wicket keeping with an aim of perfecting my role.

Q: What role if any has Dean Minors had with respect to wicketkeeping?

A: Dean has worked with me from the beginning of the season and he has always encouraged me to keep going forward with my wicketkeeping.

Dean has been the one person that has worked hands on with Christian and feels he has the potential to be one of Bermuda's best if not the best. When I asked Dean about Christian this was his response, "I will always be open for advice for him and constantly challenge him to do better.

I want him to supersede every wicketkeeping record that is out there that has been set by all keepers in Bermuda. This should be his motivation!

Christian should not just settle for being behind the stumps. He should always challenge himself; go to England and then Australia in the winter. He should speak to coach Moore constantly. Basically, as a country we need to set our standards higher if we are to achieve anything at the higher level."

In closing, these two young men represent hope for our young sportsmen. It is important that they understand the responsibility that comes with such prestigious roles. I am very proud of both of them and look forward to both of them being successful in their careers.