CARIB TWENTY20 SERIES
March 18th 2009

Action packed double header on today

The battle for supremacy in the Carib Twenty20 Series has reached the semifinal stage and a bumber crowd is expected at the Queen’s Park Oval for today’s double header, starting at 5 pm.

The ‘Penal Derby’ will hold all the attention in the opening match of the afternoon, when arch-rivals PowerGen Sports and FC Clarke Road United, in the contest which is expected to go down to the wire.

The teams are packed with enormous talent, with the likes of T&T and West Indies left-arm spinner Dave Mohammed, allrounder Samuel Badree, former West Indies youth player -Rishi Bachan, along with promising opening batsman Evin Lewis leading the charge for PowerGen.

The well disciplined Clarke Road team has answered with Martin Nurse of Barbados and Kenroy Peters of the Windward Islands, and together with out-of-favour T&T batsman Gregory Mahabir and former National off-spinner Mukesh Persad, they intend to give the ‘Electricity Boys’ the shock of their lives.

In the other semifinal, between W Connection Wanderers and Queen’s Park Cricket Club, the ‘Parkites’ have been dealth a harsh blow with the absence of no fewer than five of their key players who will be on duty with the T&T and West Indies team.

Allrounders Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard, along with fast bowler Fidel Edwards will be in Guyana for the first one-day against England on Friday at the National Stadium in New Providence, while the impressive Darren Bravo and hard-hitting middle-order batsman Daron Cruikshank will be with the national team against the Windward Islands which starts on Friday at the Arnos Vale Recreation Ground in St Vincent.

However, the ‘Parkites’ will have the services of captain Justin Guillen, Sunil Narine and Kervon Cooper to see them through.

Leading from the front for Wanderers will be former Barbados and West Indies youth captain Shamarh Brooks, who will have the support of the big-hitting William Perkins and Barbadian allrounder Kenroy Williams.

Since the inception of the tournament four year ago, only Clico Preysal Sports has lifted the coveted trophy with a hattrick of wins. They were bowled out of this year’s competition when they lost on run-rate in their rain-ruined quarterfinal fixture against PowerGen Sports.

The winner of this year’s series will take home $100,000, while the runner-up will pocket $60,000.

TEAMS:

PowerGen Sports - Evin Lewis , Nicholas Sookdeosingh, Samuel Badree (captain), Akiel Cooper, Rondell Ramlochan, Farrell Jugmohan, Rishi Bachan, Brent Harriot, Rixon Manniram, Vaaroon Samaroo, Dave Mohammed, Visham Ramroop.

FC Clarke Road - Gregory Mahabir (captain), Sean Siloch, Martin Nurse, Varendra Maharaj, Kenroy Peters, Mukesh Persad, Jeewan Ramroop, Dane Teelucksingh, Alan Mahabir, Christian Harris, Denesh Ramdharrie, McKenny Smith.

Umpires: Joel Wilson & Rawle Richards. Match Referee: Clyde Cumberbatch.

Queen’s Park - Justin Guillen (captain), Daron Cruikshank, Sunil Narine, Kervon Cooper, Rishaad Harris, Ricardo Paty, Anthony Balgobin, Marlon Barclay, Sastri Samaroo, Nicholas Arthur, Brian Yearwood, Petrock Nicholas, Shervon Penco, Kharry Pierre.

W Connection Wanderers - Sanjiv Gooljar (captain), Sanjeev Maharaj, William Perkins, Kenroy Williams, Navin Chan, Theodore Modeste, Kareem Jumadeen, Nicholas Ramjass, Rajendra Mangallie, Avalon Cuffy, Omesh Ramoutar, Narine Bidhesi, Shamarh Brooks.

Umpires: Peter Nero & Denesh Ramdhanie . Match Referee - Lennox Madhoosingh.