THE 20 year-old, former West Indies Under-19 batsman Horace Miller is the only player without first-class experience in a squad of 18 named by Jamaica’s cricket selectors yesterday ahead of the regional first-class (four-day) season early next month.

The squad will be cut to 13 at the end of December prior to the opening game of the season against the Windward Islands on Jamaican soil.

As a cost-cutting measure, the tournament will be a shortened and revamped from last year when all seven regional teams played over three months on a home and away basis.

For the first round of games in early January, six teams will gather in Jamaica for three matches. That format will be continued for the rest of the tournament in the Eastern Caribbean and Guyana.

Tamar Lambert, who led Jamaica to the four-day title last year but was controversially dropped for the regional one-day tournament in October because of unfitness, is included.

With West Indies captain Chris Gayle likely to miss much of the regional tournament because of international duties, Lambert is expected to regain the captaincy — once the Jamaica Cricket Board accepts the recommendation of the Nehemiah Perry-led selection panel.

Squad — Tamar Lambert, Brenton Parchment, Xavier Marshall, Donovan Pagon, Danza Hyatt, Wavell Hinds, David bernard, Shawn Findlay, carlton Baugh, Horace Miller, Nikita Miller, Bevon Brown, Odean Brown, Andre Dwyer, Andrew Richardson, Daren Powell, Jason Dawes, Andre Russell.