Croft sees bright future for Guillen and Stewart

Croft was speaking after Trinidad and Tobago played the Stanford Superstars on Saturday in a Twenty20 clash at the Stanford Cricket Ground in Coolidge.

Although TT lost the match by 22 runs, Croft said he was impressed with the performances of left-handed batsman Guillen and all-rounder Stewart.

The 22-year-old Guillen comes from an established cricket pedigree with his uncle playing for West Indies and New Zealand and his grandfather and great grandfather both representing Trinidad and Tobago.

He top scored for TT on Saturday night with 31 in his team's total of 124, hitting two fours but more importantly he played a steadying hand after the shock of losing two wickets in the first five overs.

Croft said he was impressed with Guillen’s technique and application and vouched that the Queen’s Park Cricket Club captain will improve with more exposure at the regional level.

“His problem is maybe he is too correct in his technique because in Twenty20 cricket you need to improvise a bit and adapt to the circumstances of the game,” said Croft.

Similarly, the former leading strike bowler for the West Indies during the heyday of regional cricket said Stewart, had acquitted himself admirably.

The Tobagonian who has been knocking on the door of the national selectors for several years took two wickets for 33 runs in his four-over spell against the Stanford Superstars.

Stewart claimed the wickets of fellow Trinidad and Tobago player Kieron Pollard and Superstars wicketkeeper Lindon James in quick succession to pull his team back into contention.

He also came on at No 5 to hit 26 of 21 balls with two mighty sixes and shared in a 42-run partnership with Guillen to revive the TT innings which looking like folding in after the loss of captain Daren Ganga for 13.

Croft said 25-year-old Stewart showed admirable qualities especially playing in the high-pressure environment of Twenty20 cricket and in particular at the Stanford Cricket Ground under lights for the first time.

The 55-year-old Guyana-born who makes his home in Trinidad and Tobago is currently working as a radio journalist for the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) covering the Stanford Super Series.

He played 27 Tests for the West Indies taking 125 wickets with a best performance of eight wickets for 29 runs. He also played 19 One-Day Internationals and captured 30 wickets.