By Anthony Foster, Freelance WriterJAMAICA'S PREPARATIONS for the 2003 Regional Red Stripe Bowl is set to take the team to Florida tomorrow. In what it expected to be two exciting days of cricket, the Jamaicans will tackle a South Florida Invitational team in back-to-back matches.
The matches are scheduled for the weekend at Trades Wind Park, Coconut Creek, located five miles north of Fort Lauderdale.
With Test stars Wavell Hinds, Christopher Gayle, Marlon Samuels and teenage fast bowler Jerome Taylor expected to pull the crowd, fans will be asked to pay between US$15 and $20 for a ticket. Persons attending the matches will have to be seated as no standing is allowed in the stands.
The Jamaica squad also included the likes of former West Indies Test player and captain Robert Samuels along with the hard-hitting Ricardo Powell, wicketkeeper/batsman Carlton Baugh Jr., Daren Powell, Gareth Breese and David Bernard Jnr. Young promising batsmen Brenton Parchment, along with all-rounder Lorenzo Ingram and fast bowler Andrew Richardson are also in Jamaica's team.
Meanwhile, the South Florida team, to be led by former Leeward Islands player Hamish Anthony, includes two former Jamaican players, wicketkeeper/batsman Shane Ford and opening batsman Carl Wright.
Other members of the South Florida squad are Mark 'Soup Bone' Johnson, Charles Reid, Howard Johnson, Madeet Dilhon, Garfield Silvera, Larry Crighton, Paul Singh, Shawn Riley, Lynford Williams, Tyrone Gayle, Peter Anthony and Owen 'OB' Brown.
In an effort for the match to get full support, the president of the South Florida Cricket Association, Patrick Samuels, and Barney Jones of the Central Florida Cricket Association cancelled all local matches scheduled for those days.
Jamaica squad: Robert Samuels, Chris Gayle, Carlton Baugh Jr., David Bernard Jr., Gareth Breese, Wavell Hinds, Lorenzo Ingram, Brenton Parchment, Daren Powell, Ricardo Powell, Andrew Richardson, Marlon Samuels and Jerome Taylor. Manager - Lyndel Wright, coach Robert Haynes and trainer David Bernard Sr.
