The Bermuda Cricket Board’s National Academy Development tour of England began on Monday night when a squad of 16 players, including three girls, left the island.

Accompanied by coaches Clay Smith and Cal Waldron and manager Kelly Smith, the boys will compete against county district teams from Essex and Sussex.

Meanwhile, the three girls — Rose Simmons, Jessie DeBraga and Chanz Godwin — have a packed schedule of high-performance coaching and cricket camps, in addition to watching a women’s Twenty20 Super League match at the Ageas Bowl.

Halima Khan, a specialist girls coach from England, will be providing one-on-one coaching throughout the tour, which lasts until August 20.

The boys on the tour will be able to mix with other young cricketers from various different social and cultural backgrounds and experience international competition at a very competitive level. The youngsters will also take part in regular coaching sessions working on skill development, and have the opportunity to have a guided tour of Lord’s Cricket Ground.

“We are very fortunate to have the support of Bede’s to provide this incredible development experience,” Lloyd Fray, Bermuda Cricket Board president, said. “Through the sponsorship of the Bank of Bermuda Foundation and the XL Catlin Foundation, these young players receive free year-round skill development and life skills training, so it is very heartening to recognise that the children and the families have worked with the BCB to fully raise the necessary funding for this tour independently.

“I wish them all a valuable and enjoyable experience on and off the field.”

• Bermudians Nzari Paynter and Chare Smith could see action today when the ICC Americas team play against Guyana in the opening round of matches in the West Indies Cricket Board’s Under-19 50-over Tournament in St Vincent.

Both players were selected to the Americas team for the seven-team tournament.

Paynter, of St George’s, is a spinner and early order batsman while Smith is a fast bowler with Warwick. He was selected on the basis of his outstanding performances in the ICC Regional Under-19 World Cup qualifiers last year in Bermuda, when he emerged as the best bowler in the tournament.

Two other Bermudian players were selected to the ICC Americas team, but Delray Rawlins and Alex Dore could not fulfil the commitment.

The round robin tournament will see Jamaica playing Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados taking on Leeward Islands in today’s other matches, with Windward Islands having a bye.

Tomorrow the Americas team play Leeward Islands before meeting Trinidad & Tobago on Saturday.

Their final games will be against Windward Islands on Monday, Jamaica on Tuesday and then taking on Barbados next Thursday.

They have a bye next Friday before the top two teams advance to the final on Sunday, August 21 at Arnos Vale Sports Complex which last hosted a Test match in 2014 between the West Indies and Bangladesh.

The Americas team will play three matches at Arnos Vale, against Guyana today and then against Windward Islands and Barbados.

SQUAD

Bermuda: Jamar Stovell, Dalin Richardson, Nirobi Mills, Kameren Mason, Jermal Proctor, Marcus Scotland, Logan Jones, DeNyi Thomas, Tybrae Robinson, Dominic Sabir, Jarryd Richardson, Jerez Eve, Yazharyaa Williams, Rose Simmons, Jessie DeBraga, Chanz Godwin.