A West Indies Women’s Under-19 team is set to take on USA Women’s Under-19s in a five-match T20I series beginning on Saturday in Trinidad.
The bilateral series, which will run from July 26 to August 3 at the Sir Frank Worrell Cricket Ground, marks the beginning of an 18-month preparation campaign for the 2027 Women’s Under-19 World Cup.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Friday announced a 16-member squad, which will be led by Trinidadian off-spinner Samara Ramnath with 16-year-old Barbadian Theanny Herbert-Mayers as vice-captain.
The West Indies squad was selected following the recently concluded Rising Stars Women’s Under-19 35-over Championships in Trinidad, which was won by Barbados under Herbert-Mayers’ leadership and features a squad bustling with young talent eager to impress.
There are some familiar names and faces, including skipper Ramnath who led the team at the second-ever ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Malaysia earlier this year.
Other experienced campaigners in the squad are Abigail Bryce, off-spinning all-rounder Naijanni Cumberbatch, 16-year-old Amrita Ramtahal and 17-year-old Brianna Harricharan.
The upcoming series will be the third such bi-lateral series between the two teams after successful outings in 2022 at the Central Broward Stadium in Lauderhill, Florida, and 2024, also at the Sir Frank Worrell Cricket Ground, in Trinidad.
The head coach is Merissa Aguilleira, former West Indies Women’s captain, who coached Trinidad and Tobago to the CG United Women’s Super 50 title in March.
CWI’s chief executive officer Chris Dehring said the series was further evidence of its continuing investment in women’s cricket.
“We are proud to welcome the USA Under-19 women’s team and look forward to an exciting series that we hope will inspire even more young girls across the region to take up the sport.
“This bilateral series reflects CWI’s strategic commitment to expanding competitive opportunities for young female cricketers, while also building meaningful partnerships to drive the growth of the game across the Americas,” Dehring said.
Cricket West Indies Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe shared the importance of the series for women’s cricket development in the region.
“This series marks the start of an 18-month campaign to the 2027 Women’s Under-19 World Cup. Most of the players selected for this series will be World Cup eligible and this series will go a long way in assessing the work that needs to be done with the group to get them ready.”
“Following what is expected to be a competitive series with the USA, development plans will be created to further the skill and holistic development of the players in the squad with a view to giving them the best chance to compete at the 2027 World Cup,” Bascombe said.
West Indies Women’s Under-19 team: Samara Ramnath (captain), Theanny Herbert-Mayers, Adanya Baugh, Eboni Brathwaite, Abigail Bryce, Naijanni Cumberbatch, Kaela George, Brianna Harricharan, Zakiyah Harrilal, Sabriel Headley, Danellie Manns, Brianna Plummer, Amrita Ramtahal, Kristen Sutherland, Jaeda Tyrell, Aaliyah Weekes.
(CMC)
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