County Championship bowls off

Robert Samuels

THE ALL-ISLAND County Cricket Championship bowls off today with six teams, including defending champions Melbourne, hunting the title and $100,000 prizemoney.

The Jamaica Cricket Association will sponsor the competition, which is in its fifth year. Participating teams will pick up other incentives to help with travelling expenses, match balls and pitch preparation. The board will also pay umpires and match referees.

With the West Indies team in Kenya, the West Indies Under-19s in England and Jamaica Under-19 team in Guyana for the West Indies tournament, several prominent local players will be missing.

A number of the teams will not be at full strength - including two-time champions Melbourne who will be without Marlon Samuels, Carlton Baugh Jr and Donovan Pagon.

Kingston CC are the hardest hit. Missing from their lineup are former West Indies captain Jimmy Adams, discarded West Indies player Ricardo Powell, Mario Ventura, Michael Millwood, Lloyd Black, Audley Sanson and offspinner Nehemiah Perry who are plying their trade in England.

Also out are Trinidadian batsman Richard Smith who represented Kingston the past fours, along with Gregory Buchanan and pacer Andre Richardson who are on duty with Jamaica and West Indies Under-19 teams respectively.

Melbourne, the only club team to have won the championship twice, host Surrey B. They will be led by former West Indies player Robert Samuels. He should get valuable support from all-rounder Llewellyn Meggs, former Jamaica player Colin Fletcher, the impressive left-arm spinner Nikita Miller and Ray Stewart to overpower a strong Surrey B team which will be captained by Andre Coley and includes Marlon Kennedy, Wayne Cuff, Brian Murphy and Warren Medwinter.

Kingston, with the services of Raymond Ferguson, Matthew Sinclair and Dwight Mais, travel to Jarrett Park to play a Cornwall team which comprises former Jamaica players Anthony Andrews and Cleveland Davidson from Westmoreland, Kenroy Williams and Damion Grey.

Surrey A, captained by David Bernard Jr., and who include Howard Powell, Maurice Kepple, Tamar Lambert, Keith Hibbert, left-arm spinner Phillip Keating, Alex Ranger and Kevin Peart, host Middlesex at Elletson Road. The Middlesex team which boasts a very good line-up will be looking to Richard Hoilette, David Powell, Jamaica player Orlando Baker, Sadeek Brown and Chacon Chambers to lead the way.

THE TEAMS:

MIDDLESEX: Richard Hoilette (captain), Chacon Chambers, Corey Phillips, David Powell, Tyson Gordon, Hensley Wilshaw, Ian McLeod, Orlando Baker, Sadeek Brown, Barrington Brown, Leon Bent, David Harrison, Lascelles Davis and Brenton Beckford. Devon Buchanan (coach) and Leroy Beckford (manager).

CORNWALL: Myron Wilson (captain), Negus Samuels, Paul Murray, Damion Grey, Nicarlo McFarlane, Anthony Andrews, Cleveland Davidson, Chris Miller, Vinord Woolcock, Dwayne Ewart, Ainsley Goss and Kenroy Williams. Phillip Service (coach) and Grantley Miller (manager).

SURREY A: David Bernard Jr. (captain), Maurice Kepple, Kevin Peart, Kamal Dennis, Brenton Parchment, Howard Powell, Tamar Lambert, Keith Hibbert, Bevon Brown, Odean Brown, Jermaine Lawson, Phillip Keating, Alex Ranger and Demetrius Francis. Note, Marvin James and Phillip Wright will be in for Lawson and Parchment. Gibbs Williams (coach) and Milton Henry (manager).

SURREY B: Andre Coley (captain) Marlon Kennedy, Mel Wint, Wayne Cuff, Anthony Folkes, Warren Medwinter, Howard Copeland, Mark Grey, Maurice Clarke, Anshuman Kentish, Omar Burke, Harlon Haye, Renford Boadie and Brian Murphy. Layton Brown (coach) and Captain Paul Brown (manager).

KINGSTON: Kerry Scott (captain), Raymond Ferguson, Nicholas Austin, Orville Clarke, Matthew Sinclair, Shane Brooks, Simon Jackson, Andre Hall, Ryan Cunningham, Dwight Mais, Andre Dennis, Sadique Phillips and Sheldon Allman. Roy McLean (coach) and Junior Stewart (manager).

MELBOURNE: Robert Samuels (captain), Colin Fletcher, Dwayne Cooper, Conroy Miller, Nikita Miller, Ryan Strachan, Aubrey Wollaston, Ray Stewart, Llewellyn Meggs, Fizroy Peterkin, Ramon Hutchinson, Sheldon Smith, Dillon Ebanks and Andre McCarthy. Ruddy Williams (manager).

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