It's often said apples don't fall too far from the tree and promising St.David's cricketer Justin Pitcher might be living proof as he continues to follow in the footsteps of father Arthur Pitcher, still regarded to this day as one of the finest all-rounders the Island has produced.

Like his father, Justin is also an all-rounder who, when on song, can take apart a team with either bat or ball with destructive force.

One game last season perhaps demonstrated Pitcher's enormous potential – the St.George's' final Cup Match trial when the St.David's islander bagged five for 16 at Wellington Oval, only to be denied a spot on the champions' squad.

But now, four months later, Pitcher finds himself poised to make his debut at the senior national level as Bermuda travel to Florida at the end of the month to defend their Americas Division One title. And with fast bowler George O'Brien jr among those showing apathy towards the national programme, much will be riding on the seam bowler's shoulders.

Having previously coached Pitcher at the national youth level, former Bermuda skipper Arnold Manders knows exactly what the exciting cricketer brings to the table and is confident he can rise to the challenges ahead and prove beyond doubt that he belongs at the top level.

"Justin is definitely one of Bermuda's future players and we will see what he is made of in Florida," Manders told The Royal Gazette. "I coached Justin at the Under-19 level and I was impressed with him then.

"He bowled extremely well in his last Sobers tournament (Sir Gary Sobers International Schools Tournament). Justin has a little bit of pace. We actually call him Glenn McGrath and I am sure he can live up to the name."

Pitcher's ability to move the ball either way off the seam could give Bermuda the cutting edge with the new ball on tour.

"Justin moves the ball both ways and I think he can be the surprise package on the tour because nobody has seen and won't know what to expect from him," added Manders. "He has been training very hard and is also very motivated. Gus (national coach Gus Logie) has confidence in him and hopefully he can hit the ground running in Florida.

"Justin is a tough guy and once he bowls a few balls I think everything will fall into place for him. If he can just keep his head and do the things he is supposed to do I think he can be a real handful."

Pitcher, however, might be bowling against the grain in conditions that might suit the slower bowlers on the team like spinners Delyone Borden, Dwayne Leverock, Rodney Trott and Tamauri Tucker.

"I don't think the wickets are going to be fast and because they are not played on too often, there may be some uneven bounce. The wickets may also play low and so the guys will have to check the bounce first before they go for their shots," commented former Police and Somerset Cup Match all-rounder Robert Hinds, who now resides in Florida.

Bermuda, led by skipper Irving Romaine, will officially launch the defence of their Americas title on November 25 against a Cayman Island side coached by former Trinidad captain and coach Theo Cuffy. Romaine's men will also come up against an unknown quantity in division newcomers Suriname (November 26) and are certain to have their work cut out against fellow tournament favourites USA (November 27) and Canada (November 30).

Romaine, the first local batsman to score a half-century and a century in an ICC-sanctioned ODI, is confident Bermuda can successfully defend the title they captured two years' ago in Toronto under his leadership.

"I think if we can play good cricket in Florida we should win the Americas again," he said. "We are not going there to give anything up easily and I think the team the selectors have picked is a team that should do well."

Former Glamorgan skipper David Hemp, who has also been included in Bermuda's team, agrees.

"The squad seems to have a good balance between youth and experience," he said. "There will be a lot of expectation as Bermuda are the holders. However, I think the players will realise this and certainly be determined to keep hold of the trophy."

Bermuda's preparations suffered a setback last week when promising seamer Kyle Hodsoll suffered a muscle injury while in Australia.

Hodsoll and national squad team-mates Romaine, Trott, Tucker, Chris Douglas and Oronde Bascome were all due to return last night after successfully completing a six-week training exercise at the Brisbane Cricket Academy in Australia.

Coach Logie, now into the final year of a four-year contract, admits Hodsoll's loss is a setback but is confident his replacement (Borden) is more than capable of filling the void.

"It is a shame to see that Kyle is injured, especially after all the hard work he has put in whilst in Australia," Logie said. "I am pleased that Delyone has stepped into the national team and we expect to see good things from him."