By Neto Baptiste
One member of the coaching staff for the triumphant Liberta Blackhawks in the Antigua and Barbuda Cricket Association (ABCA) Two Day Competition, Wilden “Polo” Cornwall, is pleased that the club has managed to remain competitive despite going through a rebuilding phase.
Speaking on the heels of the team’s first innings win over rivals Empire Nation over the weekend, Cornwall said a number of youngsters were given the opportunity to represent the club for the first time during the just ended Two Day competition, and they were able to hold their own against seasoned campaigners.
“It’s a new generation, so it will take time. Anything you do you must have a long term plan, and I think we have a long term plan for a lot of the youngsters you see we’re showcasing now. I think the time has come that we start to showcase them and give them opportunities.
“They are a young squad and they understand what we are trying to achieve with them, so I am pretty happy with what we are doing in Liberta in terms of bringing through players. Hayden Walsh, Jimbo [Rahkeem Cornwall] and Kadeem Phillip — we have to make provisions for when these guys are gone that we have players coming through,” he said.
However, Cornwall, who is also a member of the coaching staff for the Leeward Islands Hurricanes and a former Blackhawks and Leeward Islands player, critiqued the standard of play in the two day, hinting that with proper planning at the top, the cricket could improve.
“The time has come now that we can look at the structure of the planning and come up with better plans because the avenue is there for it. I personally think that our cricket can get better through proper planning, and at the end of the day Antigua cricket must be strong if we plan properly. I kind of love to see what I am seeing in terms of the young players on the market, but the cricket association just has to understand how we are going to harness all this talent,” he said.
The Blackhawks were propelled by West Indies spinner Hayden Walsh Jr, who made just eight runs short of a century, while claiming six for 59 in 15.2 overs to help his team secure first innings points in the drawn contest at the King George V Ground.