Can Bermuda handle Windies' quicks?

Bermuda’s batsmen will be put to the test when they take guard against some of the West Indies’ most promising fast bowlers in Toronto next week.

The island’s senior national team take on a Sagicor West Indies High Performance Centre squad — that boasts a potentially lethal four-pronged pace attack — in a 50 over contest next Wednesday at the Malton Sports and Cricket Club in Mississauga, Ontario.

Spearheading the Caribbean team’s pace attack are twin towers Shannon Gabriel of Trinidad and the Windward Islands' Delorn Johnson — two players that can wreak havoc with the new ball.

“Shannon bowls around 90 miles per hour and so he has proper pace on him,” said Toby Radford, a former English County player who is the current coach at the Sagicor West Indies High Performance Centre in Barbados.

Other quicks who could pose a threat to the island’s batsmen are Guyana’s Brandon Bess and Barbados’ Jason Holder, who stands over six feet tall.

“Jason is sort of an (Curtly) Ambrose or (Courtney) Walsh type of bowler. He gets a lot of good bounce off a good length,” added Radford.

Bess is one of two players in the Caribbean team with previous Test level experience, the other being Grenadian Devon Smith.

Guyanese Bess received an unexpected call to the West Indies’ team just prior to the third Test with South Africa earlier this year in Bridgetown, Barbados.

The 22 year-old right arm fast bowler was drafted into the squad as a last minute replacement for Grenadian fast bowler Nelon Pascal, who injured his neck just before the start of the match.

Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) recently announced the island’s new look squad that will also compete against hosts Canada in Toronto.

Spinners Delyone Borden and Tamauri Tucker and all-rounder Malachi Jones are among those earning recalls.

Missing are seasoned campaigners Irving Romaine, OJ Pitcher, Janeiro Tucker and Stephen Outerbridge for reasons ranging from work commitments to injury.

For those coming into the squad, next month’s tri-series in Toronto will provide national coach David Moore with an ideal opportunity to gauge exactly how his players measure up to quality opposition.

And the former Windies’ coach has urged his youthful crop of players to make the most of the opportunity to shine at this level.

He said: “We have to challenge ourselves as players. The Board is providing us with top quality competition and it exposes our players to understand what is actually required to be able to play at the next level.

“I’m really pleased that we are going to be playing against some very good players. It wasn’t long ago that the senior team was playing against the West Indies up in Canada. We had some good cricketers perform quite well up there and so as far as I am concerned the better cricket gives us a better indication of where our players actually fit in to where I want them to be.”