While crowds in Trinidad have been disappointing for the Nagico Super50 series, a difference is expected when the T&T Red Force hosts the ICC Americas in their third match of the tournament at Shaw Park, Tobago from 9am today.
Fans in Tobago have complained that they don’t get to see enough of the national team and the T&T Cricket Board (TTCB) has scheduled two games for the sister isle in this series.
Despite being a Monday, fans are expected to crowd the small picturesque ground to support the red, white and black. The T&T Red Force and the ICC Americas arrived in Tobago at 2.15pm yesterday and were met by officials of the Tobago Cricket Association (TCA) at the Arthur NR Robinson Airport.
The Red Force, currently leading the standings in group A after two emphatic wins against Jamaica and Barbados, will start as favourites against this developmental side.
West Indies players Denesh Ramdin and Darren Bravo who were expected back home on the weekend, will not make the trip to Tobago for this first match. However, they should be available for the Jamaica game on Wednesday also at Shaw Park.
The T&T team will be looking to ensure that they continue their winnings ways, in order to stay on course for a place in the semi-finals. Most of the other teams will get a boost with the return of their West Indies players, with Barbados alone expected to field seven new players.
The members of the local team have been playing good allround cricket with their top order batsmen, led by Evin Lewis, Kyle Hope and Kjorn Ottley, all recording half centuries. The bowling of pacers Marlon Richards and Rayad Emrit and off spinner Russ Jaggessar has also been steady and consistent.
The ICC Americas have not won a match at this year’s tournament but has shown some quality and must not be taken lightly. They gave Barbados a scare in the first match, when they reduced them to 110/6, chasing 183 but the Barbadians were able to get home.
With rain playing a major hand in the Tobago leg of matches last season, all eyes will be focussed upwards today with the forecast showing a stray shower may land in Scarborough.
Teams:
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO RED FORCE (from):
Jason Mohammed (captain), Uthman Mohammed, Narsingh Deonarine, RayadEmrit, Kyle Hope, Akeal Hosein, Jon Russ Jagesar, Steven Katwaroo, Imran Khan, Evin Lewis, Kjorn Ottley, Yannick Ottley, Marlon Richards, Philton Williams.
ICC AMERICAS (from):
Ruvindu Gunasekara (captain), Danial Ahmed, Timroy Allen, Alex Amsterdam, Akeem Dodson,Navneet Dhaliwal, Muhammad Ghous, Jeremy Gordon, Nitish Kumar, Muhammad Khan, Hammad Shahid, Timil Patel, HamzaTariq, Steven Taylor, Srimantha Wijeyeratne.
STANDINGS
GROUP A
Teams M W L T NR PTS
Red Force 2 2 0 0 +1.49 10
Scorpions 2 1 1 0 +1.00 5
Pride 2 1 1 0 -0.31 4
ICC Americas 2 0 2 0 -2.19 0