Ramkessoon: TT batting a letdown

NATIONAL cricket selection panel chairman Dudnath Ramkessoon blasted the Trinidad and Tobago batting in their match against Jamaica yesterday, calling it “consistently inconsistent.” The ex-Trinidad and Tobago captain said: “Unfortunately we have lost another match and this is becoming a disturbing trend.” Trinidad and Tobago lost their second successive Carib Beer Series match when they lost by three wickets to Jamaica, after taking first innings points. This defeat followed a seven-wicket crushing by Guyana in Georgetown. Trinidad and Tobago are now third equal on points with Jamaica, both on  40 points each with one round in the series to play. Ramkessoon said: “I think that our batsmen should have set the Jamaicans a second innings target of 325 to 350 runs. “This would have given the bowlers a little more to play with. Our batting again has been our biggest problem this season and we must do some serious examination to halt this problem. “We now find ourselves with having to get points in our final encounter against champions Barbados.”

Barbados have already won all their six matches this season outright for maximum 72 points, and come to Trinidad to play the hosts at Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre, starting tomorrow. Meanwhile, the national team may be strengthened by the inclusion of West Indies skipper Brian Lara. But the left hander, top of the world batsmen,  will undergo a fitness test. Dave Mohammed who played in the Carib Sunday League and took five wickets for PowerGen on Sunday, aggravated his shoulder injury and visited a doctor late yesterday evening. He will also have to prove his fitness to be included in the game. Ricardo Powell is still nursing an injury and will also undergo a fitness test this morning at the Queen’s Park Oval under the watchful eyes of Dr Terry Ali, who will later report to Ramkessoon. Pacer Mervyn Dillon is fit and ready take the field to open the attack against the Bajans. The national selectors met at 8 pm last night to select the team.