Once upon a time, in the era of Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes, Clyde Walcott and so on, in the era of Garry Sobers, Conrad Hunte, Wes Hall, Charlie Griffith and others, and then in the era of Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Joel Garner, and Malcolm Marshall etcetera, etcetera, the talk around the region was that once Barbados cricket was strong, the West Indies were strong.

Well, Barbados cricket has not been strong for a long time. In fact, it has been weak for some time now, and even with a champion like Brian Lara, and stars like Courtney Walsh, Curtley Ambrose and Shivnarine Chanderpaul around, so has been West Indies cricket - and it has been so for some 14, 15, or 16 years now.

Hopefully, it won't be too long before West Indies cricket is strong again. Guyana and Barbados have had their time at the top, and so too Trinidad and Tobago, based on this year's performance in the regional competitions, when that time comes around, it could all be because of Jamaica.

The strength of the next good, probably even great, West Indies team could be because of the strength of Jamaica's cricket. This year has been a great one for Jamaica's cricket.

Lovely gifts

Earlier in the year, Jamaica won the regional Under-15 title and the regional senior four-day title, and just a few days ago, in what were two lovely gifts, one to celebrate the people's freedom and one to celebrate the country's independence, Jamaica won the Under-19 three-day and limited-overs titles - and thanks mainly to star boy Akeem Dewar, they did so in fine style.

After an embarrassing and unpardonable selection blunder in the first match, after leaving out Dewar for the match, and after losing that first match, Jamaica, in a commanding performance, riding mostly on Dewar's skill with bat and ball, recovered to win their nine remaining matches - four in the three-day contest and all five in the limited-overs affair.

Jamaicans scored four of the 10 centuries registered during the three-day tournament, and with none of their batsmen, with the exception of Dewar, averaging 50, and their best bowler, Dewar, finishing fourth in the number of wickets taken, the Jamaicans, individually and but for Dewar, were not so great in a tournament in which the standard, but for a few players, was not so high.

Future star

In fact, unlike the years when players like Lawrence Rowe, Jeffrey Dujon, Michael Holding, Brian Lara, Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan paraded their talent and promised greatness in the years ahead, I did not see a future West Indies star in action this time around - at least not an obvious one, not one player who looked destined to wear the West Indies maroon cap.

Dewar, however, was in a class of his own.

The Kingston College/Kensington CC right-arm leg-spinner preened himself with 27 wickets at the table-topping average of 11.48. He took five wickets in an innings on two occasions - including the best of seven for 43. he took 10 wickets in a match once. he scored an undefeated century, and because, but for one occasion, he batted undefeated throughout the three-day competition, his batting aggregate of 241 was also his batting average.

The reason why I believe that one day, perhaps, it could be said that the West Indies team is strong because Jamaica's cricket is strong was not, however, based entirely on Jamaica's performance during the regional Under-19 tournament.

It was also, and more so, based on two things: my visit to a few matches, including the final, during the Scotia Bank-sponsored Prep schools cricket a few months ago, and the skill of the Kingston CC's cadets I saw in the nets minutes after the final match of the regional tournament at Sabina Park on Wednesday afternoon.

Impressive players

The Prep school, kids, some of them, and the Kingston CC's youngsters, including a batsman - little Damion King, a fast bowler - young, big James McDonald, and a few spin bowlers - including right-arm wrist spinners and left-arm spinners, were impressive.

The batsmen looked good and nicely balanced in their stance, their shot selection was wonderful, they stroked the ball beautifully on both sides of the wicket, and the spin bowlers not only spun the ball, but apart from flighting the ball and trying to confuse the batsmen, they also varied the flight and the pace of the ball well.

I understand that there are also some young and passionately interested boys around the West Indies and especially so in Trinidad and Tobago. I believe that there are others around Jamaica, and although it may take another 10 or so years before they are fully developed, if they are like those I have seen, during the Prep school matches and at Kingston Club, there will be happy days ahead for West Indies cricket - with or without those who selfishly went on strike recently.