KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Uncapped Damani Sewell and aggressive opener Steven Taylor have been named in a Jamaica Scorpions 14-man squad for this month’s Super50 in Antigua and Barbados.
The 22-year-old Sewell, an off-spinner and steady lower order batsman, caught the eyes of selectors during recent trial matches when he claimed 13 wickets and also produced some handy performances with the bat including a top score of 37 not out.
“I’m feeling elated because I came to the trials with the expectation that it would be difficult,” the Observer newspaper quoted Sewell as saying.
“But over the course of the trials I put out the work and the work has paid off.”
Sewell has been joined by the United States left-handed Taylor who will make his first-ever appearance for Scorpions after turning out for ICC Americas last year.
The 23-year-old struggled with 82 runs from five outings.
He went on to represent Barbados Tridents in the 2016 Caribbean Premier League and was in good form for ICC Americas in last November’s ICC World Cricket League Division Four, when he compiled an unbeaten hundred against Oman.
Fast bowler Jerome Taylor, who last year retired from Tests, has been named in the unit.
The remainder of the squad is straightforward with exciting West Indies all-rounder, Rovman Powell, Windies T20 batsman Chadwick Walton, Antiguan Devon Thomas, John Campbell, Jermaine Blackwood, Andre McCarthy and Brandon King all selected.
As expected, left-arm spinner Nikita Miller will lead the side which will do battle in Group B against last year’s losing finalists Barbados Pride, Guyana Jaguars, Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners and ICC Americas.
The Regional Super50 runs from January 24 to February 18.
SQUAD – Nikita Miller (captain), John Campbell, Steven Taylor, Jermaine Blackwood, Brandon King, Andre McCarthy, Rovman Powell, Chadwick Walton, Devon Thomas, Damion Jacobs, Jerome Taylor, Reynard Leveridge, Gavon Brown, Damani Sewell.