ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Captain Shane Dowrich expects no shortage of motivation or intensity from the CWI President’s XI when they clash with England in a four-day fixture bowling off here today at Coolidge Cricket Ground.
The out-of-favour Test gloveman leads a side which includes left-arm fast bowling all-rounder Raymon Reifer, seamer Sherman Lewis and openers Shane Moseley and Jeremy Solozano all of whom have already featured for West Indies in Tests.
Fast bowler Preston McSween and batsman Devon Thomas have also played white-ball cricket for West Indies.
“I think all the guys are up for it. It’s a great opportunity, especially for some of the younger guys to get seen by selectors,” Dowrich said here yesterday.
“Obviously there are some guys coming back into cricket as well. We just had two first class games so guys are ready and raring to go.”
He added: “A lot of guys, as I said, are looking to impress selectors [so] it’s a great opportunity for those guys to get some runs and wickets and get seen.
“They’re just seeing it as an opportunity. Speaking to most of them, they seem pretty confident and pretty ready for it.
“In terms of the overall outcome of the game, it’s just to do as well as they possibly can and look to make marks and get into the senior team.”
Dowrich is the most experienced, having already scored three hundreds in 35 Tests, and played 113 first class matches overall.
He is attempting to make a return to high level competition after limping out of West Indies’ tour of New Zealand 15 months ago.
In his first innings since then, nearly three weeks ago in the first round of the Regional Four-Day Championship, he gathered an impressive half-century against Leeward Islands Hurricanes.
Reifer’s solitary Test came nearly five years ago while Moseley struggled in his two Tests against Bangladesh last year, gathering just 28 runs.
With players like young batsmen Alick Athanaze and Keacy Carty, along with rookie all-rounder Shamar Springer included, Dowrich said the squad represented a diverse unit.
“We have a pretty balanced team in terms of good all-rounders, good openers, top order looks pretty solid as well. We have a good mixture of youth and experience,” Dowrich pointed out.
“In terms of the bowling department, you have young Sherman Lewis coming back. He’s been away for a bit and it’s good to see him back on the park as well.
“Young Preston McSween [is] also looking to make his mark and get into the international side so I think we have a good mixture of guys together, and once we can go out there and enjoy the game, I think we will do well.”
The game will be England’s only warm-up ahead of the opening Test at the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium starting next Tuesday.
They named a strong 12-man squad for the President’s XI encounter on Tuesday, with the likes of captain Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow and Mark Wood, included.
Dowrich praised the conditions at Coolidge and said he expected his side to play with intensity.
“It looks like a good pitch, especially for batting. The outfield has been running during practice so once we can get into the game and cause some problems for the English, that would be good for us,” he said.
“I think for us to win the game is the first order of business but if that’s not the case we just want to be as competitive as possible and create as much problems, as I said, for the English.
“[We must] look to bat as long as we can and bowl them out as cheaply as we can.”
SQUADS
PRESIDENT’S XI – Shane Dowrich (captain), Raymon Reifer (vice-captain), Colin Archibald, Alick Athanaze, Keacy Carty, Bryan Charles, Shermon Lewis, Preston McSween, Shayne Moseley, Jeremy Solozano, Shamar Springer, Devon Thomas.
ENGLAND – Joe Root (captain), Zak Crawley, Alex Lees, Dan Lawrence, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes, Chris Woakes, Craig Overton, Mark Wood, Ollie Robinson, Jack Leach
