LIME
Position last year: Division 1 champions
Home ground: Wildey
Captain: Randy Thomas
Coach: Emmerson Bascombe
In: Kemar Brathwaite (Barbados Youth), Rico DePeiza (Police), Ricardo Yearwood (BCL)
Out: None
Unavailable: Ashley Nurse (will miss the first match because of Barbados duties)
OVERVIEW: After a season away from the top division, LIME return with high expectations and with a determination not to be demoted again.
They could look back on 2012 as a season of achievement when they won both the Division 1 and Intermediate titles, and the double promotions should serve as inspiration to maintain the standards of last season.
Their young brigade of a few seasons ago now have experience behind them, and teams should not start the season assuming that LIME will follow the example of winning the second tier of cricket one year and finishing last in the top league the next year.
Randy Thomas, a veteran at this level but still only 30, leads the side that will basically retain its core with the likes of new Barbados Twenty20 batsman Justin Brathwaite, off-spinning all-rounders Ashley Nurse and Amory Holder, former Barbados fast bowler Ryan Nurse and wicketkeeper/batsman Cyprian Payne.
Veterans Courtney Browne, Brian Johnson and Ron Bates have long made their contribution for LIME at the highest level and are not expected to feature.
The club welcomes three newcomers, including former Barbados Youth batsman Kemar Brathwaite, to help add to the present crop of players.
EXPECTATIONS:
Randy Thomas (captain): “We’re just not looking to compete. We’re looking to win. We don’t want to put ourselves in a position to go back down to Division 1. We want to prove that we belong to the Elite Division.
“We don’t expect that it will be easy. We need to play good cricket and execute our plan. I think we have a good enough side to do the job.”
PREDICTION: Just above the bottom three. LIME will be keen not to be demoted for the second time in three seasons.
