Prolific opener Kraigg Brathwaite, one of the leading scorers in the tournament, will join wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich, fast bowler Jason Holder and Yannic Cariah in a squad captained by Simon Jackson.
The four players caught the eye at the Youth World Cup and will be looking to make an impression against the Zimbabweans who will get their first taste of competitive cricket since arriving in the Caribbean on Tuesday.
Richard Kelly Sr, coach of the Vice Chancellor’s XI, took the players through their paces at the University of Trinidad and Tobago Omera facility Thursday and told CMC Sports that the players were all excited to clash with international opposition.
“The young guys are very keen indeed. They know that a good performance against an international team will not go unnoticed and they all want to go out there and do well against Zimbabwe,” Kelly said.
“I have mentioned to them that they must throw their best effort forward because this is their time to shine.”
Apart from the Young Windies players, the Vice Chancellor’s XI includes Nekoli Parris who plays for Combined Colleges and Campuses in the WICB regional first class tournament. Zimbabwe, meanwhile, were put through an intense net session in sweltering conditions at the Queen’s Park Oval as they prepared for the encounter at the Frank Worrell Memorial Ground.
Team consultant Dave Houghton said he was very happy with the training so far and that the players were looking forward to getting on the field.
“It’s a practice match and we want to go out there, hit the ground running and get a win,” said the former Zimbabwe Test batsman.
“This game is important for us in getting rid of some of the cobwebs after the long flight and get some cricket in. A number of the new players will get a look in, so you can look forward to seeing the likes of Charles Coventry, Kyle Jarvis, Greg Lamb, Timycen Maruma and Shingirai Masakadza.”
The match will also honour the contributions of cricketing legend Larry Gomes to West Indies cricket. A brief, formal presentation to Gomes will precede the official match.
TEAMS
VICE CHANCELLOR’S XI – Simon Jackson (captain), Boris Hutchinson, Ruel Brathwaite, Nekoli Parris, Shervon Penco, Clifton Halls, Adeko Collymore, Issac Nicholas, Anthony D’Anadrade, Marlon Richards, Yannic Cariah, Kraigg Brathwaite, Shane Dowrich, Jason Holder, Kevin Stoute and Jamar Griffith.
ZIMBABWE – Prosper Utseya (captain), Hamilton Masakadza, Elton Chigumbura, Charles Coventry, Graeme Cremer, Kyle Jarvis, Greg Lamb, Timycen Maruma, Shingirai Masakadza, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Chris Mpofu, Ray Price, Vusi Sibanda, Tatenda Taibu and Brendan Taylor.
