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Walsh and Jamaica team to tour Bermuda

Windies legend Courtney Walsh

Former West Indies pair Courtney Walsh and Robert Samuels will accompany Melbourne Cricket Club’s 13-man squad on a brief tour of the Island next month, The Royal Gazette can reveal.The Jamaican team are due to arrive in Bermuda April 10 where they will play two T20 matches against local Commercial side Jamaican Association and hosts Somerset Cricket Club as well as three 50 overs matches against the senior national team.All matches are to take place at Somerset Cricket Club.Walsh, who once formed a lethal new ball partnership with fellow West Indian Curtly Ambrose, claimed 519 Test wickets and a further 227 scalps in One Day Internationals (ODI) for the Windies between 1984 and 2001. He also captained the two-time ICC World Cup champions and current ICC World 20 champions in 22 Tests and previously held the record for the most Test wickets.Walsh will serve as manager during Melbourne CC’s upcoming tour of Bermuda.Samuels, who is the elder brother of current West Indies player Marlon Samuels, played in only six Tests and eight ODIs for the Windies between 1996 and 1997.The left handed batsman amassed 372 runs in 12 Test innings with a high score of 125 which he achieved against New Zealand in Antigua, reaching his ton with a towering six down the ground off Dipak Patel.Samuels is the current coach of Jamaican powerhouse Melbourne CC who are based in Kingston.Asked if there’s any chance of Walsh and himself kitting up to play during the tour, Samuels replied: “Anything is possible. I’m coming down as coach and Courtney is coming down as manager so whatever we can do to ensure it’s a great tour we will help the team.”Honorary Melbourne CC Life Member Walsh, 50, still keeps himself in shape playing Over 40s cricket back in his native Jamaica.“He still bowls a mean over,” said Melbourne CC president Neville Atkinson. “He bowls from a shorter length but he’s not spinning.”Melbourne CC will arrive in Bermuda with a combination of seasoned players and a couple of youngsters.Key players Marlon Samuels, Carlton Baugh and Nikita Miller are unavailable through present commitments with the West Indies.“The big guns will be absent and it’s only a pity they are on duty or it would’ve been a more formidable unit,” Samuels said. “But a good enough team is coming down to entertain and ensure that Bermuda gets some good cricket.”The touring side will be led by skipper Yannick Elliott who currently plays for Jamaica’s one day and T20 teams.Melbourne CC’s team also boasts promising all rounder Fabian Allen who bats right arm and bowls left arm spin. The teenaged cricketer who has represented Jamaica at various youth levels recently underlined his potential by stroking a triple century playing school level cricket.Other players to watch include Andre McCarthy who currently plays for Jamaica’s one-day national team and left-arm spinner Christopher Lamont.“We are looking forward to coming down and playing some good cricket and expecting very good cricket from the Bermuda set up also,” added Samuels. “Bermuda always produces very good, enterprising cricketers and they like the competition so we are coming down to to see what Bermuda has and also to show Bermuda what we have.“Melbourne has always played good cricket and we still continue to play good cricket. The faces have changed but the tradition lives on.”Melbourne CC was established in 1892 and since then have produced 13 cricketers that have gone on to represent the West Indies, including the likes of fast bowler Michael Holding.