TT cricketers to miss Carnival

Trinidad and Tobago cricketers, smarting from their six-wicket loss to India “A” left yesterday for their top of the table Carib Beer Series regional cricket clash against leaders Barbados starting on Friday.

Led by Daren Ganga, TT have accumulated 32 points from four matches and will be looking to get an outright win against the Barbadians to get back on track in their effort to win their first regional senior cricket title since 1985.

So far the national team has been inconsistent and their two victories have so far been dotted by conceding first innings points to Guyana and an outright loss againstVVS Laxman’s Indians. 

In their last match against the Indians, TT easily took first innings honours and at the end of the second day were nicely placed on 69 for no wicket.

The visitors turned in a commited performance on the third day and hustled out their hosts  for 181. This set them a winning target of 228 runs, which they got for the loss of only four wickets on the last day.

TT has enjoyed little success on hard and bouncy Barbados pitches and will be thanking the gods that three of the topBajan bowlers are on tour with the West Indies team at the World Cup. Pedro Collins, Vasbert Drakes and Corey Collymore could have created some anxious moments for Ganga and his men.

However TT will still have to contend with the nippy left-armer Ian Bradshaw and the pacey Tino Best.

The Barbadian batting remains strong with Sherwin Campbell and Philo Wallce leading the way. Middle-order batsman Floyd Reifer has also been among the runs.

Meanwhile the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) have turned down resquests from both countries to change the match days.
Barbados wanted to get the Saturday off for the Sandy Lane Gold Cup horseracing, while TT  wanted the match brought forward so that their players can get back home in time for Carnival revellry.

Trinidad and Tobago’s team: Daren Ganga (capt), Andy Jackson, Imran Jan, Dwayne Bravo, Lincoln Roberts, Lendl Simmons, Zaheer Ali, Navin Chan, Marlon Black, Dinanath Ramnarine, Mukesh Persad, Theodore Modeste  and Ravi Rampaul.