Keating By Anthony Foster, Contributor
AFTER COMPLETING his stint as a youth player in the West Indies' Under-19 tournament in which he played for three years, 18-year-old Phillip Keating now has his sights set on making the Jamaican team in next year's regional Busta Cup competition.
A former Sunlight Cup representative for comprehensive high schools, Tivoli and Trench Town, Keating is hoping to participate in the local cricket trials to select the Jamaican team. The trials will be played between year-end and January 2001.
The left-arm spin bowler who has five subjects - three CXCs and two GCEs - told Youth Link that he is now training in an Under-23 cricket camp which is sponsored by the Jamaica Cricket Board. Keating said the camp is getting him sharp, as his bowling is much better technically.
Keating started playing cricket while attending Boy's Town All-Age School. After leaving Boy's Town, he went on to Tivoli Comprehensive, then switched to Trench Town which is more vibrant cricket-wise and where he captained the team to win the Sunlight 'A' League title earlier this year.
"My Uncle Marlon Keating was playing for Boy's Town at the time when I was attending all-age school at Boy's Town," he said. "He was the one who influenced me to play the game. And I used to see his name a lot in The Gleaner which encouraged me a lot."
He describes two of his best performances so far as winning the Sunlight Cup title and representing his country both at the Under-19 and Under-15 levels.
Apart from playing cricket, Keating is hoping to pursue a career in hotel and hospitality management.
