Under-19s leave to defend titles

Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

The task of repeating as West Indies Under-19 double champions will be hot on the mind of Jamaica's players when they arrive in St Lucia today for the 2010 staging of the annual event.

Winners of the three-day league and one-day knock-out titles on home soil last year, the Jamaicans, coached by Robert Samuels and captained by Paul Palmer Jr, will be hoping to do what no other regional youth team has done - putting claim to the titles for the second year in a row.

"I am very confident that the team will play well and repeat and make the country proud yet again," said an upbeat Samuels, who was recently appointed following the promotion of last year's coach, Andre Coley, to the post of assistant coach at the recently-opened West Indies Cricket Board (WICB)/Sagicor High Perfor-mance Centre in Barbados.

"We didn't have as much time as I would have liked to prepare because of the fire at Sabina Park and civil unrest that was affecting the country.

"But I think in the time that we had we did a lot of work and because of the standard that was set by technical director Jimmy Adams and Coley, the boys know what they need to do. It's just for them to go out and play."

The team, which will open the defence of their three-day title tomorrow against Trinidad and Tobago, will see six players who were part of last year's victorious unit forming the core of the squad.

They are Palmer, as well as the three West Indies Under-19 representatives to the 2009 ICC Youth World Cup in New Zealand - batsman John Campbell, fast bowler Nicholson Gordon and all-rounder Jermaine Blackwood.

Wicketkeeper/batsman Kemar Marshall and batsman Ramon Senior also contributed to Jamaica's successes last year.

"There isn't much to compare with last year as the talent pool is virtually the same, with six players having played in last year's team. We just have to adjust to the conditions when we get to St Lucia and do our best," said Palmer.

Jamaica, who were officially presented with their colours on Monday at a send-off at Sabina Park, will begin the defence of their knock-out title on July 29, and return home on Independence Day, August 6.

SQUAD

Paul Palmer Jr, John Campbell, Nicholson Gordon, Jermaine Blackwood, Kemar Marshall, Ramon Senior, Horaine Linton, John Campbell, Coi Thompson, Pete Salmon, Vaneil Bromfield, Michel Francis, Donovan Nelson, Omar Samuels and Brian Gayle.