Sunil Walford Ambris is a Vincentian professional cricketer who has played for the Windward Islands and the Combined Campuses and Colleges in West Indian domestic cricket, as well as representing the St Lucia Zouks franchise in the Caribbean Premier League. He was the first player to be dismissed hit-wicket twice in consecutive Tests and the first to be dismissed hit-wicket on test debut. Ambris middle name of Walford derives from former St. George Rugby League winger Ricky Walford who was and still is a household name in Ambris native St. Vincent.
Domestic career
At the 2012–13 Caribbean Twenty20, Ambris played two matches for the Combined Campuses, against the Leeward Islands and Jamaica. His first-class debut came during the 2013–14 Regional Four Day Competition, when he played for the Windward Islands against Guyana. In his first innings, Ambris scored 114 runs from 200 balls, eventually being named man of the match. He finished his debut season with 468 runs from six matches, making him the Windwards' leading run-scorer behind Devon Smith. In March 2017, during the 2016–17 Regional Four Day Competition, he scored a double century for the Windward Islands against the Leeward Islands. In the 2016–17 Regional Super50, he was the top run-scorer for the Windward Islands, scoring more than double the number of runs of any of his teammates, with 423 in total. In October 2018, Cricket West Indies awarded him a development contract for the 2018–19 season.
International career
Ambris played for the West Indies under-19s at the 2012 Under-19 World Cup in Australia. Against Papua New Guinea, he scored 91 from 43 balls, including nine fours and seven sixes. In June 2017, he was added to the West IndiesOne Day International squad, ahead of the third match against India, but he did not play. He made his ODI debut for the West Indies against England on 29 September 2017, scoring an unbeaten 38 from 27 balls. In November 2017, he was named in the West Indies Test squad for their series against New Zealand. He made his Test debut for the West Indies against New Zealand on 1 December 2017 and became the sixth batsmen to be out hit wicket off the first ball, and the first to be dismissed in this manner on Test debut. In the second innings, he opened his account with a six and became only the sixth batsman in Test cricket to do so. On December 10, 2017, he got out hit wicket again in the second innings in the second Test against New Zealand and became the first player to be dismissed hit-wicket twice in consecutive Tests. In the second innings, he retired hurt after he fractured his forearm. In May 2019, Cricket West Indies named him as one of ten reserve players in the West Indies' squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup. On 24 June 2019, Ambris was added to the West Indies's squad, after Andre Russell was ruled out of the team with a knee injury. In June 2020, Ambris was named as one of eleven reserve players in the West Indies' Test squad, for their series against England. The Test series was originally scheduled to start in May 2020, but was moved back to July 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
