By Colin Benjamin
Trinidad’s national Twenty20 cricket side completed its Guyana leg of preparation for the Champions League Twenty20 tournament in India with a second convincing victory at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground, Bourda, yesterday.
Scores: Guyana (96 for 8, Steven Jacobs 23, Jonathan Foo 21, Royston Crandon 16, Dave Mohammed 2-5, and Samuel Badree 2-21) lost to Trinidad (131 or 6, Adrian Barath 45, Lendl Simmons 21, Daren Ganga 19, Davendra Bishoo 4-12) by five wickets.
The home side won the toss and gave Andrew Lyght Jr., and Kellon Carmichael their first outing in national colours, while the visitors team included regulars in West Indies fast-bowler Ravi Rampaul and veteran limited overs leg-spinner Samuel Badree who were rested for the opening encounter.
The Guyana innings struggled to muster any momentum as they crawled to 96 for 8 in the allotted 20 overs.
The batsmen passing double figures were Steven Jacobs 23 (13 balls 1×4, 1×6), Jonathan Foo 21 (24 balls 2×4) and captain Royston Crandon 16 (17 balls 2×4), while wrist spinners Dave Mohammed 2-5 and Samuel Badree 2-21 from four (4) overs respectively had the best figures for the boys from the twin-island republic.
In reply, Trinidad reached their target scoring 97 for 5 in 15.4 overs, but Trinidad skipper Daren Ganga requested that his side bat out the allotted 20 overs in an effort to give some of his other batsmen time in the middle, which saw them finishing on 131 for 6. Adrian Barath top-scored with 45 while the ever impressive Davendra Bishoo had miserly figures of 4-0-12-4.
Speaking to Stabroek Sport just after the game Ganga said:”The team’s preparation back home was affected by rain, but regardless of these two victories we have a lot of work to do before we get to India, since expectations are high in the region for us to repeat of performance in the 2009 champions league.”
When asked if he felt the loss of Pollard and Dwayne Bravo will be significant he said although any side would feel the effects of losing players of such calibre in a format that they have excelled in, he had faith in the players at his disposal and is backing them to make Trinidad and the Caribbean proud.
Trinidad has two more practice games in Barbados over the weekend before they head off to India for their first game on September 20th against 2011 English Twenty20 champions Leicestershire.
