A confident T&T cricket team in search of that elusive first-class title, left T&T at 5 pm yesterday for Kingstown in St Vincent to take on the Windward Islands in their opening match of the 2013 regional first class season.
The team had one hiccup before leaving, and that was an injury to batsman Marlon Barclay. He was replaced by the in form Yannick Cariah.
The left-handed Barclay was injured on the weekend playing for Queen's Park, and Cariah, who scored a ton against the Canadians, comes in to the team.
Speaking before the team left, manager Omar Khan said: "We noted with interest the performance of the Windward Islands team in their first game against the CCC and they would be a confident bunch. However, going into the tournament we sat down and mapped out a plan of action and we looked at teams that we can go after full points against and the Windwards and Leewards were the two that we are confident of getting full points against.
"The players need to exercise patience in the longer format of the game and the results would come their way. Although we were on a bye for the first round, the players were kept busy with domestic cricket and they are ready and focused on the task ahead.
"We have prepared as good as anyone, this team has been playing matches for the past few months. They dominated Canada here recently, winning their three-day game, two T20 matches and a 50-over match and this would give them a lot of confidence going into the regional tournament."
The T&T boys will begin their four-day clash against the Windwards tomorrow at Arnos Vale Playing Field and this would be followed by their 50-over clash on February 21 at the same venue.
Khan continued: "We have a good record against the Windwards and we also have a good record at Arnos Vale, so it is a good place to start. The players have been promising success in the longer format of the game for quite a while, and the captain Denesh Ramdin in his speech to them emphasised the point of starting a winning culture in this format, just as the Jamaicans, who have won the last five tournaments, have done."
T&T squad: Denesh Ramdin (captain) Adrian Barath, Justin Guillen, Yannick Cariah, Lendl Simmons, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Imran Khan, Amit Jaggernauth, Kavesh Kantasingh, Ravi Rampaul, Rayad Emrit and Shannon Gabriel.