WICB 4 Day Championship
February 13th 2009

T&T must win to stay alive

T&T cricketers are faced with a must win situation when they take on the Leeward Islands in a crucial sixth round match of the West Indies Cricket Board Four-day league championship today at the Sir Frank Worrell Grounds at the University of the West Indies in St Augustine.

And the weather will again hold the key to this important encounter of the local team. Last week rain wreaked havoc in T&T’s team fixture last weekend against the Combined Campuses and Colleges at the same venue. Ran has been forecast again for this weekend.

T&T have been bolstered by the inclusion of allrounder Ravi Rampaul in the 14-member squad and the West Indies One-day player is expected to take the place of out-of-form allrounder Richard Kelly.

Rampaul is coming off an injury to his finger on his right hand which he sustained during the North/South Gerry Gomez Memorial Classic in December last year.

He has been given the medical green light by Dr Terry Ali to participate in this weekend’s match.

Still on the injured list are talented left-handed batsman Darren Bravo and allrounder Rayad Emrit.

Both are expected back on the team for the seventh round match against Guyana at the National Stadium in Providence on Carnival weekend. Also included in the squad is prolific run-getter and wickettaker in the National Cricket League, Imran Khan.

The Alescon Comets captain will replace Simmons in the final eleven. Off-spinner Sunil Narine is expected to make his regional First-Class debut at the expense of allrounder Samuel Badree.

Narine said that he is looking to put his best foot forward if given the opportunity to make his debut.

“ Hopefully if given the opportunity, I would like to stay focus, concentrate on my game and go out there and do my best,” Narine said.

Narine is a former T&T Under-19 captain, having led the team in the TCL Regional Youth Challenge in 2006 in Guyana. He also represented the West Indies in 2006 in the Youth World Cup in Pakistan and Sri Lanka and was named as the Queen’s Park Cricket Club 2008 ‘Cricketer of the Year.”

Manager of the T&T team, Colin Borde, said that he is looking for better weather in addition, to a better allround performance by the team. “ It is important that we maintain our focus in respect of our team goals and execute all of the strategies outlined.

There is still lots to play for as the regional championship trophy is still available. Our goal has always been to bring the trophy back to T&T, irrespective of rain or injuries, our goal remains the same,” Borde added. Manager of the Leewards team, Hugh Gore, said that they did not started well in the tournament but they are looking to gave an improved showing against T&T.

“ We are just looking to play more improved cricket and try and get four days of good competitive cricket against Trinidad and Tobago. We have’nt started as well as we would have liked but it is still early days. Obviously, we have the talent but we need to demonstrate it in a more positive manner. T&T is a good team to do so,” Gore said.

The T&T cricketers are fourth in the seven-team standings on 27 points and must take full points from the Leewards at stay in contention for championship honours.

Both teams trained yesterday at the National Cricket Centre in Balmain, Couva.

TEAMS:

T&T: Daren Ganga (captain), Adrian Barath, Imran Khan, Kieron Pollard, Sherwin Ganga, Gibran Mohammed, Ravi Rampaul, Amit Jaggernauth, Richard Kelly, Samuel Badree, Navin Stewart, Justin Guillen, Atiba Alert, Sunil Narine. Manager: Colin Borde. Coach: Kelvin Williams. Trainer: Ronald Rogers.

LEEWARDS: Runako Morton (captain), Moncin Hodge, Shane Jeffers, Keiron Powell, Tonito Willett, Omari Banks, Wilden Cornwall, Steve Liburd, Devon Thomas, Akito Willett, Anthony Martin, Garvin Tonge, Robert Joseph. Manager: Hugh Gore. Coach: John Archibald.

Umpires: Rawl Richards (T&T) and Richard Kettleborough. Stand-by - Khemraj Barrasingha.

Statistician: Rohit Balkisoon.

STANDINGS

TEAMS*M*W*L*D*PTS

Jamaica*4*3*0*1*42
Barbados*5*3*1*1*39
Windwards*5*3*2*0*36
T&T*4*1*0*3*27
Leewards*4*1*3*0*16
CCC*4*1*2*1*15
Guyana*4*0*4*0*4