TT, Bajan ‘babes’ battle for Inshan Ali Trophy

Weather permitting, Trinidad and Tobago Under-15 team will attempt to secure victory today over their Barbados counterparts in the first match of the annual Inshan Ali Memorial Limited-overs three-match series. The teams are scheduled to play today at the Munroe Road Recreation Ground in Cunupia from 9.30 am. They will meet again tomorrow at the Preysal Rrecreation Ground in the second match. The third fixture is carded for Gilbert Park, California on Tuesday.

Barbados are the current holders of the Inshan Ali Trophy. TT’s charge will be in the hands of skipper Yannick Cariah who slammed a magnificent unbeaten 154 against the Barbadians in Bimshire and secure the three-day match and the Malcolm Marshall Trophy. Cariah will have the services of vice-captain Khasan Ottley and Nicholas Alexis who were members of the team last year. Harry Lalla, manager of the team for the last five years, is very confident that his boys will do well in this year’s series. “Although the players did not get the opportunity of playing matches in preparation for this year’s series, we are very confident that they will do well and not only retain the Malcolm Marshall Memorial Trophy, we stand a very good chance of also winning the Inshan Ali Memorial Trophy.”

“We have been training them for over two months at the Sir Frank Worrell Development Centre. And they are fit and ready. Once they play to the best of their abilities, I feel certain that they are capable of doing us proud at home.” The series started in 1999 with Barbados being the host while it alternated between the two countries since. This will be the third time that Trinidad and Tobago will play host to the budding Bajan stars.

TT team: (From) Yannick Cariah (captain), Khasan Ottley, Nicholas Alexis, Videsh Sookhai, Shazim Nagessar, Sachan Boodram, Kevan Katwaroo, Kristopher Rambaran, Keiron Joseph, Derone Davis, Rickson Maniram, Evian Lewis, Rajiv Singh and Iraq Thomas. Manager is Harry Lalla while David Moffet is the coach.