Weather stalls TT Young Stars

SOGGY outfield conditions and rain clouds forced an abandonment of the first day’s play of the Carib Beer Cricket Series third round match between Trinidad and Tobago and Leeward Islands at the Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain yesterday. Umpires Khemraj Barrasingha (TT) and Clyde Duncan (Guyana, a former Test umpire) in consultation with the two captains, Daren Ganga (TT) and Sylvester Joseph (Leewards), and match inspector Clyde Cumberbatch (TT, also a former Test umpire) decided that the bowlers run-up on the northern end plus the outfield were too dangerous to start play. They made three inspections, the first at 10 am and the final one after noon and advised everyone that they would try again today to see whether there has been any significant improvement in the ground conditions.

The playing areas were fully covered and were unaffected but the ground did not appear to be in any condition for play. Both teams seemed ready for the showdown but their disappointment was felt because they are all keyed to do battle for vital points which will enhance their chances of winning the Carib Beer League Trophy and the opportunity of contesting the Carib Beer Challenge Trophy final. Ardent fans who showed and paid their $15 admission sought a refund from the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board officials. Valuable time was lost and this affected the game plan of both teams. Ganga however is upbeat and hopeful that there will be enough time available to allow “TT Young Stars” to fight for first innings points. “We are a bit disappointed as we would love to have had four days of cricket against Leeward Islands. That would have allowed us to play positive cricket and strive for a good result in the match.”

“Now it’s down to a three-day match and no one is sure what will happen tomorrow (today) and what time the match will start. But our first objective is to start infront whether we bat or bowl. Should we bat first, we would be looking to put up a challenging total on the board, which would allow us to put pressure on the Leeward Islands team. And should we bowl first, the objective would be to shut them out and then bat once. The plan then would be to get a good total and apply pressure on the last day,”Ganga added. “We are very confident of our chances and are still riding on the historic victory over Barbados (second round match at North Stars-Crab Hill, St Lucy). But we all know and are all aware that everyday is a different day. And although we have done well against Barbados, doesn’t necessarily mean that we will do well against Leewards,” he said.

“So we need to start well and do the basics right. Once we are able to execute our plans and stay focussed on our goals, we will come out on top at the end.” Ganga added. Commenting on the Leewards team, Ganga recognises that they have a very balanced all-round team with a wealth of experienced players. “They have a very good all-round team with a lot of players who have played Test cricket, while we have only two players with Test experience. And we will not take anything for granted but will go out there and play good cricket. We have the confidence that we will do well against them too because of the composition of our team.

Our players are backing themselves and will be fighting harder for more successes,” Ganga said. Romel Hughes, Leewards manager, although disappointed with the outcome of the first day and probably another day under serious threat from the rain, feels that his team will do well against TT. “We did not start the competition the way we had planned, losing to Jamaica. But we were able to take first innings points from Guyana in the second round. This has given us a new confidence and we are looking to improve in the other matches. The players are determined to win the competition and I expect them to do well against Trinidad and Tobago,” Hughes said.