North Sound, Antigua – West Indies A Team centurion Nkrumah Bonner has praised the Sagicor High Performance Centre for improving his cricket.
"The HPC has changed us as players for the better, it is a great programme for the development of young cricketers and I improved physically, mentally and in my skills department as well during the time I spent there," said the Jamaican all rounder about the West Indies Cricket Board programme based at the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies in Barbados.
Bonner rallied with the lower order as he scored a match-saving 127 as the West Indies A batted their way out of trouble in the second innings to draw their First Digicel ‘Test’ with Bangladesh A at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Grounds.
"In the second innings the wicket was more difficult to bat on so it required a lot of application and I had to bat as many balls as possible and occupy the crease," explained the 22 year old middle order batsman and leg spinner.
Bonner who played a lone Twenty20 International for the West Indies against England said his international debut did not go to plan but that he is using the opportunities given to him on the West Indies A Team to work on making his way back to the top.
"The coaches and the selectors have seen my ability, the rest is all up to me now to put runs on the board and wickets in the bag and repay them for the faith they have showed in me," Bonner said
With regard to the longer format of the game Bonner says he is constantly working on making the adjustments to improve his consistency.
"Greater patience is required at the next level and I have to work on that even more and with the training we got at the HPC we are equipped to do that, we just have to apply the things we learnt now," Bonner said.
Bonner’s fellow Jamaican Andre Russell was named the Digicel Man of the Match for his first innings century and five wickets in the match. He was presented with a Blackberry Curve for his outstanding performance.