England to tackle VC XI
published: Friday | March 5, 2004

By Tony Becca, Contributing Editor

THE TOURING England cricketers take on the Vice Chancellor's XI in a three-day first-class match at the University of the West Indies' Mona Bowl today and after the exercise at Sabina Park in their first match, this should be a real tester as they prepare for next Thursday's first Test match against the West Indies.

Apart from the two Kenyans, batsman Steve Tikolo and wicketkeeper/batsman Kennedy Otieno, the squad of 13 includes some of the region's most talented young cricketers, and numbered among them are four fast bowlers - Jermaine Lawson, Jerome Taylor, Ryan Nurse and Jason Bennett.

INJURIES

Although Jamaicans Lawson and Taylor, both recovering from injuries, are expected to bowl in short spells, Nurse and Bennett, the two young speedsters out of Barbados who impressed during the Carib Beer Series, will be firing on all cylinders and England's top batsmen, captain Michael Vaughan, left-hander Marcus Trescothick, Nasser Hussain, left-hander Graham Thorpe, Paul Colling-wood and company can expect a torrid time.

And that is not all. Apart from the left-arm spin of Ryan Cunningham, England's batsmen will be up against quality medium-pace from allrounder Darren Sammy and batsmen Dwayne Bravo and David Bernard Jnr.

Led by Jason Haynes - captain of the West Indies B team, the squad also includes some promising batsmen.

PERFORMANCES

On parade and bidding to impress the West Indies selectors with good performances against an attack to come from fast bowlers Simon Jones, Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, James Anderson, pacer Andy Flintoff and left-arm spinner Ashley Giles are opening batsman Haynes, Bravo, Bernard, Tonito Willett and Shawn Graham.

Having had a look at the likes of Vaughan, Trescothick, Thorpe, Harmison, Hoggard, Giles and company at Sabina Park, the man local fans are waiting to see is Jones - the fast bowler who has been clocked at 92 miles per hour and the one who England believe could be their trump card against the West Indies.

Unlike the Sabina Park affair that saw 26 players - 13 on either side - appearing in a match that was more like long practice session, this one, according to the West Indies Board, will be limited to 11 players per team and that, plus the fact that it is the one before the Test match, should guarantee not only some exciting cricket but also a good contest.