Marcus Scotland and Cameron Jeffers will return to the island today to join their Bermuda team-mates before leaving on Monday for the Under-19 Cricket World Cup qualifiers in Toronto.

Jabari Darrell, also based in the UK, was due back last night while Rudi Butterfield will meet up with the team in Canada. Vice-captain Nzari Paynter has returned from school in England and trained with the team this week.

“He had two sessions with us and looks really good, I can see he has definitely improved quite a bit,” Bermuda head coach Clay Smith said yesterday. “I was very impressed with what I saw from him with both bat and ball and hopefully his experience over in England will put him in good stead.

“Our build-up has been good, we had a training camp this week at Bailey’s Bay from Monday to Thursday, 10am to 4pm, and today we finished off in St George’s with some team bonding in the afternoon at Shelly Bay.”

The team will get another week of preparation, including two practice matches, before their opening match against the United States on Monday week, July 17.

They play host nation Canada the following day in the double round-robin tournament, with the winners advancing to the 2018 Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand.

“It’s going to be a really tall order and we understand that,” said Smith, referring to the talent that Canada and the United States possess.

The local-based players have been turning out for their clubs, including captain Dalin Richardson and Jaiden Manders, who have been regulars for Western Stars. Alje Richardson struck 73 from 90 deliveries for Somerset in a losing cause against Southampton Rangers last weekend.

“They have been doing well, including Alje Richardson for Somerset, and that’s a good thing that most of our players locally are playing at Premier Division level,” Smith said.

“The main thing is they are playing every week and getting that exposure. We get in Toronto on Monday and have training games on the Tuesday and Thursday.”

The age of the squad ranges from 14 to 18, with the majority of the players young enough to be eligible for the next tournament in two years time. Scotland, at 14, is one of the youngest and he can play in the next two tournaments. He is in the Surrey County Age Group and has had some impressive performances, including a score of 174 not out against Cambridgeshire last month, his second century in a week.

“Marcus is going to play a key role with the bat, but we have a few people who we expect to come good with the bat,” Smith said. “The youngster at Somerset, Solomon Burrows, has been very quiet but when you watch him in training you can see that he can really bat.

“We’re hoping that he finds some form once we get out there on those tracks. He looked really good today in our final session, so I’m hoping he’s coming into his own at the right time.

“Then we have Nirobi Mills who, in another five years, could be one of the best pace bowlers in the country. He’s really coming along in leaps and bounds and we’re looking for him to lead our attack. We have a lot of players who we are expecting good things from and I hate to single players out. Everything I preach to my players is all about team and I expect every one of them to play a significant role before this tournament is out.”

The Bermuda Cricket Board began preparing for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers back in 2016 when they named an Under-17 training squad that contained the bulk of the players in this present squad, including captain and vice-captain, Richardson and Paynter. Manders, Jabari Darrell, Alje Richardson, Jeffers, Mills and Rudi Butterfield were also a part of that 2016 squad.

Bermuda made their only appearance at the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia in 2008, where they failed to advance beyond the group stage.

The island’s only win of the tournament came against Ireland, whom they beat by 20 runs in Kuala Lumpur thanks to a century fifth-wicket partnership between Malachi Jones and Rodney Trott. Off-spinner Chris Douglas took five wickets.

Smith expects Richardson to play a captain’s role in this tournament.

“Dalin has been around cricket for quite a while at Southampton Rangers and he’s very knowledgeable,” he said. “The players respect him and he does know the game quite well.

“I’ve asked a lot of him in terms of being a leader not just on the field but off the field in the way he conducts himself. He has really worked hard over the last month or so and has tried to lead from the front.

“Dalin is somebody who I think is very underrated, and I don’t think we have seen his true talent. He has the ability to bat and bowl and I saw him a year or two ago in England when the team was in trouble and he scored 70-odd against one of the best under-15 teams out there. That’s when I knew how good he really was and maybe the captaincy will bring that out of him.”