BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CMC) – The Leeward Islands confirmed a 13-man squad yesterday for their regional season-opener against Jamaica this weekend after suffering an embarrassing loss to the Windward Islands in a warm-up match on Sunday.

With issues of poor form hovering over them ahead of the 2009 WICB Four-day Regional Tournament, the Leewards selectors named a fairly predictable unit that includes three players with West Indies senior team experience.

Captain Runako Morton and all-rounder Omari Banks, who have played a combined total of 25 Test matches for West Indies are key players in the side, which also includes Austin Richards Jr who has been struggling for form in the build-up to face champions Jamaica at Warner Park starting Friday.

The left-handed Richards, who played a One Day International (ODI) and a Twenty20 match for West Indies on their 2007 tour of the United Kingdom, has had scores of 0, 0, 0 and five in his last four innings – an inter-squad practice match and the match against the Windwards.

The Windwards used a brilliant unbeaten century from their captain Rawl Lewis (121 not out) and a 12-wicket match-haul from off-spinner Shane Shillingford to defeat the Leewards on Sunday by an innings and 25 runs inside two days of the scheduled three-day fixture.

The promising Antiguan teenaged wicketkeeper/batsman Devon Thomas represents a bright spark for the Leewards.

The 19-year-old Thomas, who represented West Indies Under-19s in the ICC Youth World Cup in Malaysia last year February, begins the season in fairly good touch.

He stroked 76 in the squad match last week and top-scored with 34 on Sunday when the Leewards crashed to defeat at 139 all out.

His West Indies U-19 teammate Kieran Powell, the Nevisian left-handed opener, is also included in the squad and will shoulder responsibilities at the top of a batting order that is worrying coach John Archibald.

“Certainly my concern was always about the batting,” Archibald told CMC Sport yesterday.

“For the past two seasons and even now in preparation, the bowling has been holding its own but we must improve in consistency in batting. Sometimes we have a good innings and then we falter, that is something we just have to work on,” Archibald added after his side posted paltry totals of 120 and 139 against the Windwards.

While he does not want to read too much into their poor showing against the Windwards, Archibald will not ignore the signs and wants his squad to work very hard in the coming days to get things right.

“I don’t want to make excuses but we have to take this match for what it was, to assess our areas of weaknesses and strengths and we will just have to work very hard for the next couple of days. We are not where we want to be in terms of fitness either,” he said.

Leewards Squad – Runako Morton (captain), Kieran Powell, Austin Richards Jr, Tonito Willett, Omari Banks, Orlando Peters, Montcin Hodge, Wilden Cornwall, Devon Thomas, Anthony Martin, Brent Defreitas, Gavin Tonge, Tariq Prince.