‘Bouncing’ Joseph taking pick in stride

ST JOHN’S: As can be expected, Sylvester Joseph is thrilled about his selection to the West Indies 13-member cricket squad ahead of the fourth and final Test against England, starting at the Antigua Recreation Ground on Saturday. The 25-year-old, also known as “Bouncing”, replaced experienced left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who has hit 101 runs in six innings during the series. “Playing for the West Indies has always been one of my dreams ever since I started playing cricket,” Joseph told the Antigua Sun newspaper. “I have played at the One-day International level, but I have never played at the Test level and I am really looking forward to making my Test debut,” he said.

“I am feeling real good because when I started playing for the Leeward Islands some years ago, many people felt I showed good promise and were expecting me to play for the West Indies long ago, but God is directing my steps and he knows when is the right time for me to play for the West Indies at the Test level,” Joseph said. Joseph, a graduate of the Shell Cricket Academy of the St George’s University in Grenada, scored 517 runs in seven matches at an average of 43.08 for Leeward Islands in this year’s Carib Beer Cricket Series. He also staked a claim with knocks of 36 and 50 for the Carib Beer XI in a three-day match against Michael Vaughan’s side in Barbados last month. West Indies trail England 0-3 in the four-Test series.