KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Off-spinner Bevon Brown, who has made only sporadic national appearances in his career, gave selectors a reminder of his ability with a five-wicket haul Monday in Jamaica’s latest practice match for the forthcoming West Indies first-class season.
Bowling for David Bernard’s XI on the opening day of the three-day fixture at Chedwin Park, Brown returned splendid figures of five for 50 off 21 overs as Tamar Lambert’s XI crashed to 153 all out.
Bernard’s XI closed on 47 for one in reply at the venue where title holders Jamaica will tackle Windward Islands in their opening WICB Regional 4-Day match from January 8-11.
On a pitch that provided good assistance to the spinners, Donovan Pagon (43), Lambert (35) and Brenton Parchment (27) were the chief scorers for Lambert’s side.
The 30-year-old Brown, who has played only seven first-class matches in five years at this level, received good support from left-arm spinner Nikita Miller, who picked up three for 25 off 24 overs.
Pacer Jason Dawes, who played for the young West Indies side in the ICC U19 World Cup last year, claimed one for 13.
Opening batsman Xavier Marshall scored heavily in trial matches prior to the Christmas holidays but fell without scoring when Bernard’s XI began their reply.
Left-handed Shawn Findlay (21) and Danza Hyatt (17) remained together until stumps.
Five players will be chopped from the 18-man squad at the end of the match.
Nine players with West Indies experience were named earlier this month in the squad – without current West Indies players — and coach Junior Bennett anticipates a tough job in settling on a 13 for the start of the tournament.
“I think it’s going to be extremely difficult,” Bennett told CMC Sport.
“It has never been easy picking a (13-man) squad with all the talent we have available, but at the end of the day we are looking to select a well balanced squad,” he added.
Players in the squad with West Indies experience are Parchment, Pagon, Bernard, Findlay, Miller, Marshall, Wavell Hinds, Carlton Baugh, and Daren Powell.