Lara: We can beat B’dos in semi-final

STAR West Indies batsman Brian Lara is looking for another top class performance from the  Trinidad and Tobago cricketers when they clash with Barbados in one semi-final of the Carib Beer International cricket challenge in Barbados on Friday.

Lara, who scored a brilliant hundred in his only match for the team this season described the win against the Leewards as a top class effort. He said if the players can repeat they can come away on top. “When I joined the team in St. Thomas I felt a good vibe from the players. They are really confident and want to win for Trinidad and Tobago. We were beaten by the Barbadians in the early round but we have strengthened our team in the right areas and I am very confident of a win. I have come into the batting line-up and Mervyn Dillon has been added to the bowling squad. “It is a different story now and we are going all out to claim a victory or at least a first innings that will put us in the finals,”

On a personal note Lara said he was very happy to play as preparation for the upcoming series against Australia. “The more cricket I get in before the Australian tour the better it would be for me. Hopefully after this match I will have a final to play so that my readiness would be even better.” Lara took the team through their paces at the Oval yesterday in the absence of coach Phil Simmons who had returned to England to visit his family. He was expected to be in the country last night and will travel with the team to Barbados today. Skipper Daren Ganga yesterday was also very confident of success. “We have been presented with a wonderful opportunity to play in the semi-finals and we are not going to let up. The last time they beat us we were without two top players and now that they are back we are looking to make a clean start and win this one. “The pitch at the Kensington Oval is a good cricket pitch and we will be going all out to pull this one through,” Ganga said.

Manager of the team, Omar Khan, said that each day is a different one and that the players must put behind them their defeat at the hands of Barbados in the earlier preliminary round match. “We are going to go very hard at the Barbadians. Lara and Dillon are back and will prove to be a handful for the hosts. All our players have had good performances this season and we just want them to come out and give of their best and we will be on our way to the finals,” Khan said. The same team which played against the Leewards in the last round was chosen with spinner Dinanath Ramnarine again missing. The West Indies player asked not to be considered as he was still coming to terms with death of his mother two weeks ago. TT team: Daren Ganga (capt), Imran Jan, Andy Jackson, Brian Lara, Dwayne Bravo, Zaheer Ali, Shazam Babwah, Lendl Simmons, Dave Mohammed, Marlon Black, Ravi Rampaul, Mervyn Dillon and Rodney Sooklal. Coach Phil Simmons, manager Omar Khan.