TTCB – News

Coach Williams wants TT to win for local supporters
February 18, 2010

SPORTS Minister Gary Hunt, centre, chats with Trinidad and Tobago cricket captain Daren Ganga, left,
and Guyanese master batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul during a reception for the
regional cricket teams on Wednesday at the National Cricket Centre at Balmain.
PHOTO BY HERMAN ROOP DASS

FIFTH placed Trinidad and Tobago will host bottom of the table Windward Islands in round six of the WICB Four Day Tournament starting today at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain and coach Kelvin Williams noted that the fixture is a very important one.

TT are second to last in the standings with 21 points and can not win the competition with just two matches remaining. But the Windward Islands have endured a dismal season so far, losing three of their four matches for a total of 16 points.

The home team welcomes batsmen Adrian Barath and Darren Bravo to the squad after they recovered from injuries and Williams explained that the team will be going all out for victory to give the public something to cheer about.

Third place is the best TT can do but Williams revealed that the local cricketers are still excited about the remaining matches and have not become complacent or disinterested.

“We understand the situation but this group has the experience to know they can’t be complacent. It is our only home game and we want to show the public that we can perform well,” he said.

Williams said he was pleased to have Barath and Bravo back in the team although most of the season was over.

“They are two international players so it is nice have that flavour in the mix. The batting hasn’t been convincing so those two guys will put confidence back into the tea, knowing they have two players capable of scoring and scoring big,” he declared.

The national coach hailed Alescon Comets leg-spinner Imran Khan as being an integral member of the team both with bat and ball. Khan surprised all last season with a tremendous haul of wickets as well as his maiden hundred and continued his remarkable form in the Four-day Tournament this year.

Khan is leading the bowling attack with 29 wickets from four matches and Williams is hoping the Comets player can continue being a thorn in the side of regional batsmen for the rest of the season.

He explained that he would have preferred if TT were not on a fifth round bye. TT rallied from a first innings deficit against the Leeward Islands in the fourth round to claim an outright victory on the final day and Williams said the momentum was what Daren Ganga’s men.

“The momentum was there but with the break it’s not there. The guys have prepared well for this fixture, however, and I expect them to do well,” he said.

The TT bowlers will have to be wary of former West Indies player Devon Smith as well as Dominica’s Liam Sebastien who blasted a second century against Barbados in round four.

Hard-hitting opener Andre Fletcher is likely to pose a few problems for TT and will be hoping to show that he can deliver in the longer version of the game having distinguished himself in the Twenty20 format. However the Windward Islands will be missing their inspirational captain Darren Sammy who is currently on duty with the West Indies team in Australia.