By Anthony Foster, Freelance WriterNATIONAL YOUTH cricket coach Junior Bennett has expressed concerns about his team's batting as they prepare for this year's renewal of the TLC West Indies Under-19 cricket tournament.
The regional competition starts in a week's time with the Jamaicans listed to tackle the Windward Islands in a four-game opening game schedule in Guyana.
They are currently engaged in their third big practise match against a Jamaica Select XI in a three-day game which got underway at Kensington Park yesterday.
The Krishmar Santokie-led youngsters have already beaten national Senior League champions Jamaica Defence Force and another top Senior League team, Kensington, in one-day encounters.
Despite the positive results, Bennett said the batsmen need to play longer innings.
"In the Trial matches most of the batsmen got starts but keep getting out in the 40s and 50s. We need someone to go on and make big hundreds so I hope the batting will come together for them to utilise their talent and produce some runs. We definitely have some talented players."
In terms of their bowling, the team has lost its two main bowlers, pacers Jowayne Robinson and Denva Passley, but Bennett remained confident they would not fare badly in this department as they have some good spinners in the squad.
"Jowayne Robinson, this would have been his third year, and Denva Passley, a youngster who seems to have come on leaps and bounds, we lost both two pacers," he lamented of the Vere Technical fast bowlers who also represent St. Thomas in the National Senior League cricket championship.
"It's a good 14," he added of the squad named two Fridays ago. "We have a few all-rounders, the balance in the attack is what I really like. We have some good spinners going down to Guyana and as you know those pitches down there normally spin."
Bennett, who has been coaching the team for a long time, added that despite the bowling and batting concerns preparation is going well.
"We have three preliminary one-day matches which are back-to-back. We have to be prepared mentally for this tournament because it is going to be tough.
"This (Select XI) is formidable team they put together. It's really a good thing for the youngsters at the moment," Bennett pointed out.
At the close of day one, the Select XI hit 302 for eight wickets.
The Select team captained by Test player Carlton Baugh Jnr. got most of their runs from Donovan Pagon, 62, Dave Johnson, 53, Bevon Brown, 47, Lorenzo Ingram, 41 and Vinard Woolcock, 32 not out.
Bowling for the Under-19s, off-spinner Gavin Wallace emerged with top figures of 3-62 off 19 overs, while Xavier Marshall (1-22), Boris Hutchinson (1-45), Alton Beckford (1-55), Jamie Trenchfield (1-14) and Oral Rankine each picked up a wicket.
