BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – Batting all-rounder Ryan Hinds, who led Barbados to a semi-final spot in last month’s President’s Cup, has been retained as captain of a 13-man squad for the start of the 2010 West Indies first-class season.

The Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) named seven players with West Indies experience in the squad for the first two rounds of the WICB Regional Four-day in Jamaica and St Kitts respectively.

The in-form young batsman Kyle Hope is the only newcomer in the squad, which boasts an attractive bowling attack with frontline Test pacer Kemar Roach and spinner Sulieman Benn in addition to West Indies pacers Pedro Collins and Tino Best.

Hinds, opening batsman Dale Richards, and wicketkeeper/batsman Patrick Browne are the other players with West Indies experience in the squad.

A former Barbados Under-19 batsman, the 21-year-old Hope is coming off a superb local season in which he tallied a record 1 194 runs at an average of 66.33.

Solid young all-rounders Kevin Stoute and Shamarh Brooks, last year’s West Indies Youth captain to the ICC U-19 World Cup in Malaysia, also earned spots.

The first round of matches will be played in Jamaica where Barbados will oppose the Leeward Islands January 8-11 and the Barbadians will face Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) in the second round January 15-18 in St Kitts.

Former national batsman Emmerson Trotman is the new head coach, taking over from former West Indies fast bowler Vasbert Drakes, who is now his assistant.

On the second day of the latest BCA practice match at Queen’s Park on Tuesday, Stoute (118 not out) and Alcindo Holder (124 not out) shared in an imposing 173-run fifth-wicket stand that lifted the Ryan Hinds XI to 352 for four in reply to 295 all out by the Shamarh Brooks XI.

Teenager Roston Chase (43) and Jason Haynes (36) were the next highest scorers against Collins, who recorded solid figures of two for 11 off six overs.

Earlier, the Brooks XI – resuming from their overnight position of 222 for five – were bowled out for 295 after Brooks failed to add to his overnight 66 and Browne fell for 35 after resuming on 29.

Tino Best belted 31 batting at No.11 while medium pacer Stoute, with three for 21 off 13.1 overs and pacer Marlon Franklyn (3-61) shared six wickets.

Barbados Squad – Ryan Hinds (captain), Dale Richards, Jason Haynes, Kyle Hope, Kirk Edwards, Shamarh Brooks, Rashidi Boucher, Kevin Stoute, Patrick Browne, Pedro Collins, Kemar Roach, Sulieman Benn, Tino Best.