Bessborough Cricket Club News story


Westy's Windies Reach Final

11 Feb 2016

WESTY'S WINDIES REACH FINAL
By James Wheeler

Bessborough Legend Graeme West has led the West Indies U19s to only their second appearance in an Under-19 World Cup Final after they beat hosts Bangladesh by three wickets in front of 10,000 stunned fans in Dhaka this morning.

Chasing 227, West Indies were cruising at 147 for 3 but after the loss of inspirational captain Shimron Hetmyer for 60, the West Indies wobbled. But the Caribbean found a hero in Shamar Springer who’s unbeaten 62 saw the West Indies to victory.

Westy, in his role of High Performance Director for the WICB has done a brilliant job in the tournament. Firstly negotiating the West Indies out of a difficult group including England. A tense quarter final  win against Pakistan followed before today’s magnificent semi-final win over hosts Bangladesh.

In the World Cup Final, Westy’s West Indies side will face India in the early hours of Sunday morning. The match is being broadcast live on Sky Sports 5 from 2.30am so why not get up early or stay up late to see how they get on.

WATCH MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

Westy progressed through our colts system and was a star performer for the club in the 1990s and early 2000s. He is the only batsman to score 2,000 runs in a single season for the club (2,012 in 1993) and was twice named Harrow Observer Player of the Year. As well as being a successful coach for our junior sides, Graeme excelled as a coach with Middlesex where he performed the role of Academy Director and Second Eleven Coach before moving to Barbados to work in his current role for WICB.

Bessborough Cricket Club is proud of all our former members who have been involved or are still in involved in the game of Cricket. As well as Graeme, we have former Middlesex, Surrey and England batsman Mark Ramprakash, who is currently performing wonders as Batting Coach for the England Test Team.

We also have former members, work are making their way in the media covering international cricket. Former bulldozing opening batsman Dean Wilson is currently in South Africa following the England side in his role Cricket Correspondent for the Mirror and big hitting wicket-keeper-batsman Alex Mason is a Cricket Producer with Sky Sports who will be in charge of the UK coverage of the IPL when it starts in a few months time.

Everybody at Bessborough Cricket Club wishes Graeme and the West Indies all the best for their World Cup Final against India on Sunday.