T&T looks to bowlers to lead the way

Undoubtedly better suited to the one day format, T&T will open their campaign in the Regional 50 Overs tournament today against the Windward Islands at Arnos Vale in St Vincent.

The Red Force, the most affected of all the teams in terms of losing players to the West Indies team for the Zimbabwe series, will go into their clash with a number of young players but guys who have been in around regional cricket for quite some time.

Yesterday, the team held their final practice session at the Arnos Vale playing field and manager of the team Omar Khan is reporting that the selectors will have their full squad to choose from this morning as all the players are fit and raring to go.

Missing from the T&T line-up however will be skipper Denesh Ramdin, allrounders Dwayne Bravo and Keiron Pollard, batsman Darren Bravo and spin ace Sunil Narine. While T&T battle Windwards today, the five players will be putting their final touches of preparations in place for their clash against Zimbabwe in the first One Day International (ODI) tomorrow in Grenada.

However, the T&T boys will be looking to the bowlers to put in another good performance while the batsmen try to find their way. According to Khan: “We have some experience in there still and players like Lendl Simmons, Jason Mohammed and Adrian Barath with their experience will be required to lead from the front in the batting department. The bowlers have held their own so far and now it is time that the batsmen show that fight and come out and play with the confidence that they do in the T20 format.

“A number of people back home have criticised this team saying that the players only play for big money and if there was a big prize at the end of this tournament they would win every match. Well I would like to inform them as manager of this team, that the boys have been fighting hard although the results have not been what they want. They have been fighting, they want to win the other two titles badly for their fans back home and they are very committed to the effort.

“I think a win against the Windwards in this first match of the Super 50 can start something very good for the rest of the regional season.”

The home team will again be banking on opener Devon Smith, who has struck two centuries and a 99 in his three innings to date in the competition. 

He has been the standout player, as the Windwards themselves have been struggling with the bat. Their bowlers have been excellent and skipper Liam Sebastien will be calling on them to do the job against the men from T&T yet again.

Play starts at 9.30 am.

Teams

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T&T: Rayad Emrit (c), Lendl Simmons, Adrian Barath, Justin Guillen, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Kjorn Ottley, Yannick Ottley, Samuel Badree, Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Rampaul, Shannon Gabriel and Yannic Cariah.   

Windwards: Liam Sebastien (c), Miles Bascombe, Andre Fletcher, Lindon James, Delorn Johnson, Keddy Lesporis, Garey Mathurin, Nelon Pascal, Kenroy Peters, Dalton Polius, Shane Shillingford, Devon Smith and Tyrone Theophile.