Perry in Jamaican squad for semi-final

Nehemiah Perry will replace the injured Gareth Breese in Jamaica's 14 man squad for the Carib Beer semi-final match against the Windward Islands, beginning on February 26 at Alpart in St Elizabeth.

A veteran of 17 first class seasons, which includes 4 Tests and 21 one-dayers, Perry's offspin may play a key role in the crucial encounter. Furthermore, he has a very good record against Windward Islands in the past.

Perry will undergo a fitness test before the start of play. He was troubled with a bad knee prior to the regional first-class season for which he underwent surgery Perry played in only the first two rounds before pulling out of the squad.

This match will be the third game to be played on the same strip in as many weeks, and is expected to take a lot of spin as the match progresses.

The Jamaican team will led by Chris Gayle, who took over the captaincy after Gareth Breese suffered a broken arm last week. Gayle is optimistic about the match and is forecasting victory. Speaking to Caribbeancricket.com at Sabina Park, Gayle said, "Yes, we're going to win. We'll be in the finals, I'm looking forward to that."

Squad
1 Chris Gayle (captain), 2 Maurice Kepple, 3 Donovan Pagon, 4 Brenton Parchment, 5 Tamar Lambert, 6 David Bernard Jr, 7 Carlton Baugh Jr, 8 Keith Hibbert, 9 Nehemiah Perry, 10 Odean Brown, 11 Ryan Cunningham, 12 Andrew Richardson, 13 Daren Powell, 14 Dwight Mais.