CRICKET-Bishop, Nedd anxiously eyeing first-class debuts.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Left-arm spinners Joshua Bishop and Ashmead Nedd are both champing at the bit for their first taste of first-class action ahead of the Headley Weekes Tri-Series, which gets underway here Wednesday.

Bishop, 24, and Nedd, 22, have been named in the West Indies Academy squad, carded to come up against Team Headley in the first three matches at Coolidge Cricket Ground.

“We just look at it as an opportunity to put ourselves against more experienced players that have been around for quite a while and test ourselves,” Barbadian Bishop said.

“I’m looking forward to it, from Super50 [last November]. We had a fairly decent tournament, but I’m looking forward to the four-day challenge.”

Bishop led the Academy’s attack during the Super50 with eight wickets at an economy rate of near runs per over, while Nedd finished with five wickets at just over four runs.

Bishop has taken 40 wickets in 28 List A games, while Nedd has claimed 22 scalps from 17 appearances.

“I’m also looking forward to the challenge,” said Guyanese Nedd.

“It will be the first time I’m playing a type of four-day cricket, so it’s a good feeling to be playing four-day and first-class cricket. It will be an enjoyable two weeks.”

Bishop and Nedd will be part of a unit that includes Keagan Simmons, Ackeem Auguste, Teddy Bishop, Kevin Wickham, and Ramon Simmons, all of whom have already played first-class cricket.

And they will come up against a team Headley side led by West Indies wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva, including Darren Bravo, Kieran Powell, and Sheyne Moseley, who have already campaigned at the Test level.

Team Weekes, the other side in the Tri-Series, will be captained by the in-form Alick Athanaze and comprise experienced players like Devon Thomas, Veerasammy Permaul, and Raymon Reifer.

West Indies Academy will clash with Team Weekes in their second game beginning March 26.

“There are a few players that we know keenly well [from the other teams] … so it’s just for us to do our homework and share it with the rest of the team,” Nedd said.