T&T Red Steel: We not ready to come home

Faced with a virtual final as they enter into their first play-off of the 2014 Limacol Caribbean Premier League T20 tournament today, the T&T Red Steel has adopted the mentality of not being ready to go home.

As the CPLT20 tournament enters its final stages, it is sure going to live up to the expectations as the ‘greatest show in sport’ and the men from the fun loving twin Republic of T&T, definitely want to be part of that action. As is the norm, once a team loses in the knockout phase they jump on the next flight and head home. However, manager of the Red Steel, Colin Borde says that his boys have decided that they are not ready to go home and instead, will be looking to send home the Jamaica Tallawahs today, when they clash at 4 pm at the Warner Park in St Kitts.

Both teams are yet to win a match in St Kitts, with the Red Steel going under to Barbados Tridents and Antigua Hawksbills and the Tallawahs falling to Barbados Tridents and St Lucia Zouks. The winner of this match has a date with the Guyana Amazon Warriors tomorrow night at 8 pm at the same venue.

Yesterday, the T&T Red Steel boys under the watchful eyes of the head coach Simon Helmot were busy working on their game in the blazing sun. They know that one slip and they are out and according to Borde: “The boys have said they are not ready to go home as yet and they are fiercely focused on the job before them. They know the situation that we have found ourselves in and they know that the only way out is winning now. We need to win three matches on the trot to lift and title and the boys are fully aware of the maximum effort that is needed at this time.

“Everyone in the squad is fit and raring to go and they are confident that we can pull a win over the Tallawahs just as we did in Trinidad. That confidence will help spur them on because since arriving here they are yet to win.

“Tonight we will have a long detailed team meeting and then a position will be taken as to whether or not the team will remain the same or their will be a change.”

One of the likely changes to the team is the return of Jason Mohammed for the all rounder Javon Searles. Searles has not been bowling well and the option of getting Mohammed in, who can also bowl off-spin is a tempting one. Mohammed was up front and centre in training yesterday which suggests that their might be a role for him against the Tallawahs.

Red Steel will be wary of the destructive Jamaican captain Chris Gayle, who has been promising to explore in St. Kitts. The big left hander could be murderous at the small Warner Park facility but the scores of T&T fans who have been filling Liat planes over the last two days—trying to get into St. Kitts would hope for a failure from him.

scores

Team M W L D N/R Pts RR

1 Tridents 9 6 3 0 0 12 +0.675

2 Warriors 9 6 3 0 0 12 +0.414

3 Red Steel 9 6 3 0 0 12 +0.317

4 Tallawahs 9 6 3 0 0 12 +0.071

5 Zouks 9 2 7 0 0 4 -0.790

6 Hawksbills 9 1 8 0 0 2 -0.820

TEAMS

T&T Red Steel: Dwayne Bravo (captain), Ross Taylor, Darren Bravo, Samuel Badree, Sulieman Benn, Kevon Cooper, Nasir Jamshed,

Kevin O’Brien, Evin Lewis, Nicholas Pooran, Shannon Gabriel, Fidel Edwards, Jason Mohammed, Kenar Lewis.

Jamaica Tallawahs: Chris Gayle (captain), Fabien Allen, Carlton Baugh, Jermaine Blackwood, David Bernard Jnr, Nkrumar Bonner, Odean Browne, Nikita Miller, Andrew Richardson, Andre Russell, Owais Shah, Jerome Taylor, Rusty Theron, Daniel Vettori, Adam Voges, Chadwick Walton.