National squad shuffles line-up for West Indies
the reshuffling continues in the Bermuda national team for their second match against the visiting West Indies Board Select on Sunday at Lord's.
Former captain Arnold Manders has been dropped along with the just recalled Charlie Marshall as the chopping and changing continues in search of the right formula. Albert Steede retains the captaincy.
In all five changes have been made to the squad with young pace bowler Diallo Sharrieff also left out along with Davon Wade who was in the squad of 13 for Bermuda's first match against the tourists last weekend.
There seems to be a slight shift towards spin bowling with Wayne (Spike) Richardson, Manders' teammate at Western Stars, getting a callup to join another orthodox left-arm spinner, Bruce Perinchief, in the 14-man squad.
Ricky Hill, relegated to the president's XI last weekend, has been recalled and will likely open the innings with Clay Smith. Also coming in are Allan Brangman, the Western Stars opening bowler, St. David's allrounder Lionel Cann and St. George's wicketkeeper Dean Minors. Brangman should play, as Terry Burgess' new ball partner.
Squad: Albert Steede (capt), Ricky Hill, Clay Smith, Noel Gibbons, Jeff Richardson, Clevie Wade, Allan Douglas, Terry Burgess, Wayne Richardson, Dean Minors, Bruce Perinchief, Lionel Cann, Del Hollis.
The squad is asked to meet at Devonshire Rec at 7.30 this evening.
Meanwhile both BCBC president Ed Bailey and national team captain Albert Steede are confident some improvement will be seen when the six match tour continues today at Devonshire Rec with the fourth match against the Bermuda Under 25s captained by Janeiro Tucker.
"This is not a competition but a learning process,'' Bailey stressed this week.
"This West Indies team is teaching us how to play a 50 overs match. They have bowled extremely well and the fielding has been first class. Each one of those players are playing like they are preparing for Test cricket.
"Our batting has undergone the greatest test that it is going to be put through. It's impossible for the results to come out right away. I'm not totally happy but not discouraged either.'' Steede, who played in all three matches, described the West Indies bowling as the best the Bermuda team has seen, though he says he still would have liked to have seen more from the batsmen.
"The quality of their bowling is something we've not experienced before,'' admitted the captain.
"Their bowling has been far superior to what we've experienced, but we really need to apply ourselves that much more.'' The West Indians took such a liking to the Somerset wicket that they are anxiously looking forward to their next match there on Saturday against the Cup Match XI.
"Somerset was probably the most difficult wicket to bat on. It had a green top and was faster and more bouncy than the others,'' Steede explained.
West Indies tour manager Charlie Griffith spoke of discipline, attitude and temperament as three important ingredients when asked about some of his observations of the first three matches of the tour.
"Your players have the ability and potential but you have to be disciplined, have the right attitude, temperament, and apply yourselves,'' said the manager.
"You must tell yourselves that when you can't get a four or six to get the singles. If you get one four an over and get out the next over what have you achieved?'' The former Test great has been pleased with the application made by his players and expects them to get even better as the tour progresses.
"I'm very pleased with the entire team's performance even though there are one or two areas to work on,'' Griffith says.
"I can say, without fear of contradiction, that they are an excellent bunch of fellas.'' CHANGING OF THE GUARD -- Charlie Marshall, left, and Arnold Manders were among the casualties as the beleaguered national team searches for a winning formula.
