Local youth cricketers set to test their skills against US U15s

Some of the island’s top young cricketing talent are set to test their skills against North America’s finest, as the highly anticipated Jamaican Youth Cricket Under-15 Tournament bowl offs next Sunday.

Six action-packed match days are set to be played between December 22 and 29 in the 50-over competition.

Three elite US-based academies will go head-to-head with three of Jamaica’s top youth teams in a round-robin format featuring 18 matches. Representing the US are the American Youth Cricket Academy (AYCA) from Ohio, the Master Strokes Cricket America (MSCA) High-Performance Center based in Houston and the North Jersey Youth Cricket Academy (NYJCA).

They will face off against Jamaican select teams Jamaica Gold, Jamaica Green and Jamaica Black

Reynolds Cricket Ground (Jamaica Bauxite Mines) in St Ann along with Port Rhoades Sports Club in Discovery Bay, St Ann and the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium will host the matches.

The tournament kicks off on Sunday, December 22, with a triple-header featuring Jamaica Gold vs MSCA Blazers at Trelawny Stadium; Jamaica Green vs Jamaica Black at Reynolds Cricket Ground and NYJCA vs AYCA Falcons at Port Rhoades

Each match day will begin at 9 a.m. and run until 5 p.m.

Oniel Cruickshank, Cricket Development Manager at the Jamaica Cricket Association, emphasised the importance of the tournament.

“This initiative is a critical step in continuing the development of our young cricketers across the Americas. It not only strengthens cricketing ties between the US and Jamaica but also provides a platform for our young athletes to grow through high-level competition,” Cruickshank said.

The visiting teams are scheduled to arrive in Jamaica on Saturday, December 21.