Bermuda Premier League Takes Centre Stage
[Written by Patrick Bean]
The highly anticipated Bermuda Premier League [BPL] gets under-way on Wednesday at White Hill Field, with two Bermuda teams taking on formidable, foreign opposition in the forms of Barbados and a youthful Grassroots Cricket Academy teams from Antigua and Barbuda.
The day’s second match will be particularly looked upon as a gauge as to where the Bermuda senior men’s form lies at present, as they tackle a Bajan outfit led by Kraigg Braithaite, captain of West Indies’ Test team and among the world’s premier opening batsmen.
The match will be Bermuda’s first competitive action since their tour of Argentina, where they were successful in qualifying for the America’s region qualifier for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, which will take place locally later this month.
Most of the same players who participated in the aforementioned tour have been included in the current squad, which will be coached by Naraj Odedra.
A Bermuda Select XI, instructed by Clay Smith, will participate in the day’s opening match against Grassroots Cricket Academy.
The side will feature a mixture of emerging and experienced cricketers hopeful of doing enough to warrant consideration for places in the senior national team.
Also among the group is Pedro Baron, an Argentinian opener, who impressed during the previous overseas tour.
This year’s version of the BPL is designed as a preparatory exercise for the national team in advance of the upcoming ICC tourney, which has been noted as a critical component of the Island’s cricketing future, with potential millions of dollars in funding at stake.
Wednesday schedule: Bermuda Select XI v Grassroots Cricket Academy, White Hill Field, 10 am; Bermuda v Barbados, White Hill Field, 2 pm.
Bermuda Select XI: Jayde Albertze, Treadwell Gibbons, Onias Bascome, Oronde Bascome, Jarryd Richardson, Jordan Burgess, Macai Simmons, Alex Dore, Allan Douglas Jr., Shakai Darrell, Jermel Proctor, Maquille Walker, Greg Maybury, Pedro Baron.
Bermuda: Delray Rawlins, Justin Pitcher, Sinclair Smith, Derrick Brangman, Kamau Leverock, Tre Manders, Terryn Fray, Dominic Sabir, Zeko Burgess, Jabari Darrell, Malachi Jones, Cejay Outerbridge.
Owais…Best perform if not take next season off to review your season. Where is Brian Hall?