Young batting sensation Guyana’s Mavendra Dindyal is certainly a future star and has been hailed as one of the bright performers by Steve Liburd, West Indies Under 15 Coach and CWI School’s Cricket Development Officer following the conclusion of the West Indies Under 15 Future Stars summer tour of England last weekend.
The Caribbean side won two out of their four completed games, with rain forcing the other matches to be abandoned.
“Mavendra Dindyal [toured England last year] and Jordan Johnson from Guyana and Jamaica respectively, looked the part every time they batted… As young players at this stage it’s all about learning to convert scores while enjoying the game,” Liburd acknowledged in comments posted by Cricket West Indies.
He also sang high praises for Trinidadian Justin Jaggessar who “scored a century and a half-century…he was an obvious standout from a batting perspective.”
Liburd also described Nathan Sealy as having the potential to develop into a genuine all-rounder while Kamario Grant was likened to West Indies start Kieron Pollard because of his hitting ability.
This is the fifth consecutive summer tour to England by the West Indies Under 15 team. It is a reward for the top-performing young players in the West Indies Future Stars Under 15 Championship tournament held in Antigua this April which was won by Trinidad and Tobago.
“This year didn’t go perfectly as planned because a few of the matches were rain affected. Otherwise, the tour was a very important one in the player development pathway for young Caribbean cricketers,” said Liburd who represented the Leeward Islands in domestic cricket.
He continued: “Playing cricket in England is very different to play in Caribbean, it challenges technique more and gives you a better perspective of your overall game, so it is ideal that these guys got that experience now.
“The players adjusted really well and I have to commend them for that, which is most pleasing as a coach.”
Of the 13-member squad, nine were getting their first experience playing cricket in England.
Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams commenting on the tour said: “I am really pleased that the cream of our Under 15 players have had this opportunity and have been exposed in a competitive environment. The fact that they have had this opportunity in a foreign environment is an added plus as it gives CWI a better idea of the strength and potential of these young players.”
The Future Stars Under 15 program will next see action around the Easter period in 2020, with the six main regional franchises participating in the West Indies Rising Stars Under 15 Championship.
Summarized Scores from matches played:
At Willesden, August 8: West Indies Under 15 won by 165 runs
West Indies U15 285 for five off 40 overs (Justin Jagessar 159, Mavendra Dindyal 37)
South Hampstead 120 all out off 26.3 overs
(Andrew Rambarran 3/9 from 4 overs, Jordan Johnson 2/35 from 7 overs, Isaiah Thorne 2/20 from 3 overs)
At Northampton Saints, August 11: No Result
West Indies Under 15 248/6 off 44.2 overs (Jordan Morris 95 not out, Mavendra Dindyal 64, Kamario Grant 46)
At Eastcote, August 12 (1st Twenty 20): England SW & London & East Regions U15s won by 59 runs
England SW & London & East Regions U15s 212 off 20 overs
West Indies U15 153/7 off 20 overs (Mavendra Dindyal 35, Jordan Johnson 28)
(2nd Twenty 20): England SW & London & East Regions U15s won by 10 wickets
West Indies U15 121/7 off 20 overs (Kamario Grant 50 not out)
England SW & London & East Regions U15s 122/0 off 13.1 overs
At Shenley, August 18: West Indies Under 15 won by 109 runs
West Indies U15 211 all out off 39.5 overs
(Justin Jagessar 51, Jordan Johnson 39, Andrew Rambarran 38)
Barmy Army Colts U15 102 all out off 37.2 overs
(Jordan Johnson 3/17 from 7 overs, Isaiah Thorne 2/8 from 5 overs, Nathan Sealy 2/21 from 8 overs)
