Top 5 current players from Jamaica

S Sam
England v West Indies - 3rd Investec Test: Day One
Jermaine Blackwood

The West Indies is an amalgamation of the sports bodies of six separate islands, which are nations in their own right and Jamaica is one of the most important constituents of this union. Over the course of West Indies' glorious cricket history, Jamaica has proven to be one of the most important suppliers of highly gifted cricketers and still does so.

The team plays in the Caribbean first-class competition known as the Regional Four Day Competition and the one day or List A games in the Regional Super50.

Jamaica have won the first-class competition 12 times and the WICB Cup 6 times. However, they have not won the first-class competition since 2011-12, despite boasting of a fine roster of players. The present squad would definitely like to put that right and here is a look at 5 of the best players from Jamaica.

5 Jermaine Blackwood

The hard-hitting middle-order batsman has been a revelation in the West Indian side over the past few Test series and looks like a playwho has a great international career ahead of him.

However, before making his name for the West Indies, Jermain Blackwood became one of the most promising players in his native Jamaica. He made his debut for Jamaica in first-class cricket back in 2012 and over the course of his career, that has spanned 73 games so far, he has scored 4 centuries and 26 half-centuries.

In the 32 List A games, Blackwood averages 25.18, with 1 century and needless to say, it is a record that he would like to improve over the next few years. He plays in all three formats of the game for Jamaica and is expected to be one of their vital players this season. His aggressive middle-order stroke making is a vital ingredient in Jamaica's batting arsenal.

4 Rovman Powell

2017 HERO Caribbean Premier League - St Kitts and Nevis v Jamaica Tallawahs

The man who is regarded as the next great West Indian all-rounder in the line of players like Kieron Pollard and Andress Russell, is one of the big stars in the Jamaican squad. In his short career so far, 24-year-old Rovman Powell has already distinguished himself as a cricketer of rare talent.

In first-class cricket, Powell got his first cap for Jamaica in the 2015-16 season and thus far, he has only played 4 first-class games. However, it is in List A games that he has proven to be quite outstanding and in the 2016-17 season, his performances were vital in Jamaica making it to the final of the tournament.

Powell's power-packed 45 balls 95 and a five-wicket haul in the semi-final of that tournament brought him into the notice of several T20 franchises and the national team selectors. He has already played 14 one day internationals and 7 T20Is for the West Indies, and is also expected to be Jamaica's star performer in the upcoming season.

3 Damion Jacobs

WICB President's XI v England XI - Warm-up match
Damion Jacobs

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, leg-spinner Damion Jacobs has been one of the best spinners in the domestic circuit in the Caribbean ever since he made his first-class debut back in the 2013-14 season.

In his first game, which happened to be the final, Jacobs took 10 wickets in the match and recorded one of the best ever figures for Jamaican bowlers in first-class cricket with 8-47 in the first innings.

Since then, he has been one of Jamaica's top performers and an integral part of the squad across the formats. In 38 first-class games that Jacobs has played, he has picked up 154 wickets at an average of 22.19, while in List A games he has taken 40 wickets in 22 games.

He is quite an economical bowler as well and does not give much away, which is reflected in his excellent economy rate of 4.26 in List A games.

2 Nikita Miller

India v West Indies - ICC Champions Trophy

Left-arm orthodox spinner Nikita Miller averages 16.54 in first-class cricket, which is one of the best bowling averages in first-class class cricket worldwide and remains one of the pillars of the Jamaican bowling attack. In fact, at one point (back in 2013), Miller averaged 15.51, which was the best first-class average in the world.

The 35-year-old started off playing for Jamaica back in 2004 and over the course of a first-class career that has spanned 90 games, he has picked up 461 wickets so far. He regularly figures among the leading wicket-takers in the domestic circuit each season and is often a vital factor in many of Jamaica's victories in the first-class competition.

Although his international career never really took off, Miller is undoubtedly a modern great in Jamaican cricket and one of the best players in the current side.

1 Jerome Taylor

Australia v West Indies - 3rd Test: Day 5
Jerome Taylor

33-year-old Jerome Taylor may be in the last stretch of his international career with the West Indies and despite being one of the most promising fast bowlers to have emerged from the Caribbean in the past 15 years, the Jamaican's career in international cricket is a tale of unfulfilled promise.

However, when it comes to his exploits for Jamaica in domestic cricket, he has definitely proven himself to be a colossus and remains one of their most important players. Taylor made his debut back in 2003 and over the course of an excellent domestic career, he has picked up 300 wickets at an average of 26.93 in 98 first-class games.

In List A and T20s, he has been equally effective for Jamaica and remains one of their leading wicket taking outlet. There is no doubt that he is among the top players in the current Jamaican side.

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Edited by Anuradha Santhanam