Leeward Islands cricket team

Leeward Islands
Captain: Devon Thomas (List A & First-class)
Coach: Eldine Baptiste[1]
Colors: Maroon, gold
Founded: 1980
Home ground: Antigua Recreation Ground
Warner Park Sporting Complex
Four Day wins: 3 (plus 1 shared)
WICB Cup wins: 5 (plus 2 shared)
Twenty20 wins: 0
Official website: Leeward Islands

The Leeward Islands cricket team is a first class cricket team representing the member countries of the Leeward Islands Cricket Association, a regional association which again is part of the West Indies Cricket Board. Contrary to the normal English definition of the Leeward Islands, Dominica is not included – for cricketing purposes Dominica is a part of the Windward Islands. As such, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla, Montserrat, British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands[2] and Sint Maarten[3] are all part of the Leeward Islands Cricket Association. The team does not take part in any international competitions (although the member nation of Antigua and Barbuda took part at the 1998 Commonwealth Games), but rather in inter-regional competitions in the Caribbean, such as the West Indies' Professional Cricket League (which includes Regional Four Day Competition and the NAGICO Regional Super50), and the best players may be selected for the West Indies team, which plays international cricket. The team competes in the Professional Cricket League under the franchise name Leeward Islands Hurricanes.[4] The Leeward Islands has won a total of ten domestic titles – four in first class cricket and six in one-day cricket, but their last title was in 1997–98 when they won the double (although the first-class title was shared with Guyana).

The Leeward Islands played their inaugural first-class game in 1958, and lost by an innings and 19 runs to Jamaica. However, their first win did not come until 1968–69, when they beat Guyana by 43 runs at the Warner Park Sporting Complex ground. From 1965–66 to 1980–81 the team competed as the Combined Islands in first-class cricket, along with the best cricketers from the Windward Islands. However, when regular one-day competitions began in 1975–76 the island groups were separate, and the Leeward Islands won on their third outing in 1977–78.

In 1981–82 the Leeward Islands made their debut in the Shell Shield with a 57-run win over the Windward Islands (the season after the Combined Islands had won the title), but it was to take eight seasons until they could lift the first-class trophy – which by then had been renamed the Red Stripe Cup. From 1989–90 to 1997–98, however, the Leeward Islands won five first-class titles (one shared) and four one-day titles (one shared), but since then they have failed to win any major trophy in the West Indies.

Antiguan born Viv Richards
Curtly Ambrose took 405 Test wickets

Squad

Players with international caps are listed in bold.

No. Name Nat Birth date Batting style Bowling style Notes
Batsmen
20 Kieran Powell Nevis 6 March 1990 Left-handed Right-arm medium
? Steve Liburd Saint Kitts and Nevis 26 February 1985 Right-handed Right arm off break
? Javier Liburd Nevis 9 February 1987 Right-handed Right arm off break
21 Montcin Hodge Anguilla 29 September 1987 Right-handed Right arm off break
? Sylvester Joseph Antigua and Barbuda 5 September 1978 Right-handed Right-arm off break
? Austin Richards Antigua and Barbuda 14 November 1983 Left-handed Right-arm medium
? Lyndel Richardson Anguilla 7 May 1986 Right-handed Right-arm medium
? Akeem Saunders Saint Kitts and Nevis 17 June 1994 Right-handed Right-arm leg break
All-rounders
14 Rahkeem Cornwall Antigua and Barbuda 1 February 1993 Right-handed Right arm off break
17 Justin Athanaze Antigua and Barbuda 29 January 1988 Right-handed Right arm off break
? Orlando Peters Antigua and Barbuda 10 May 1988 Right-handed Right arm medium
? Sherwin Peters Sint MaartenTrinidad and Tobago 2 May 1990 Right-handed Right arm medium-fast
? Jeremiah Louis Saint Kitts and Nevis 12 March 1996 Right-handed Right arm medium-fast
22 Chesney Hughes Anguilla 20 January 1991 Left-handed Slow left-arm orthodox
? Shane Burton Antigua and Barbuda 25 May 1992 Left-handed Right-arm medium
? Shane Jeffers Saint Kitts and Nevis 12 September 1981 Left-handed Right-arm medium
? Tonito Willett Nevis 6 February 1983 Right-handed Right arm medium-fast
? Mali Richards Antigua and Barbuda 2 September 1983 Left-handed Right arm medium
Wicket-keepers
30 Devon Thomas Antigua and Barbuda 22 September 1990 Right-handed Right-arm medium List A and First-class captain
? Jahmar Hamilton Anguilla 22 September 1990 Right-handed – vice-captain
? Jaison Peters Montserrat 22 November 1989 Right-handed –
Bowlers
18 Anthony Martin Antigua and Barbuda 18 November 1982 Right-handed Right arm leg break
48 Gavin Tonge Antigua and Barbuda 13 January 1983 Right-handed Right arm fast-medium
5 Jacques Taylor Saint Kitts and Nevis 19 April 1988 Right-handed Right arm off break
? Jason Campbell Nevis 30 November 1985 Left-handed Slow left-arm orthodox
? Hayden Walsh,Jr Antigua and BarbudaUnited States Virgin Islands 23 April 1992 Left-handed Right arm leg break
25 Kelbert Walters Anguilla 4 December 1990 Right-handed Right-arm medium
? Quinton Boatswain Montserrat 16 October 1990 Right-handed Right-arm fast-medium
44 Lionel Baker Montserrat 6 September 1984 Left-handed Right arm medium-fast
? Nelson Bolan NevisBritish Virgin Islands 29 November 1990 Right-handed Right arm fast-medium

Source: 2014-15 Leeward Islands Squad 2013-14 Leeward Islands Squad 2013 Leeward Islands T20 Squad

Notable players

The list of prominent cricketers who have represented the Leeward Islands include :

Grounds

The Leeward Islands play cricket on all the islands, though the only ground to have seen Test cricket (and also the ground with the most home matches, with 50 first-class games) is the Antigua Recreation Ground. However, their last match at the ARG was in February 2009, while another traditional ground, Warner Park in St Kitts, with 28 first-class games with Leeward Islands, was revamped for the 2007 Cricket World Cup. In the 2004–05 season, the Leeward Islands played their home games at Salem Oval (Montserrat), Edgar Gilbert Sports Complex (St Kitts), Carib Ground (St Maarten), Addelita Cancryn Junior High School Ground (St. Thomas) and Grove Park (Nevis).

Honours

References

External links