MOHALI, India, CMC – Jonathan Carter says he will be targeting another big score in Barbados Tridents’ final game of the Champions League Twenty20 today, as he looks to get his hand on the Golden Bat.
Despite Tridents’ poor showing in the tournament, the left-hander has been in excellent form with 173 runs from three innings, including a superb unbeaten 111 not out against Cape Cobras last week.
The Golden Bat is awarded to the batsman with the highest aggregate.
Carter followed up his century with a top score of 42 on Sunday as Tridents lost their third straight game by six wickets, to bow out of contention in the tournament.
“I was enjoying [the innings]. I love playing in India. I was trying to target the boundaries and not play across or anything like that so,” Carter said.
“It has been a nice experience so far; there is still one more game to go and I am just hoping to tip it for the Golden Bat.”
However, he will have to surpass Northern Districts’ Kane Williamson who has 243 runs and Hobart Hurricanes’ 188 runs, both of whom are ahead of him in the aggregates.
Carter has come to the fore in the tournament, thriving under difficult circumstances in his last two innings. Against Cape Cobras, he entered the fray with Tridents struggling at seven for two and against Hurricanes, he came to the crease with his side in trouble again at 26 for two.
The Barbadian said he was accustomed to such situations and actually relished them.
“To be honest I wasn’t under any pressure. I love batting in those situations. I am used to playing in those situations when playing for my club back home,” he explained.
“My coach back at the University always tells me that I am a match-winner so I believe in myself and I showed confidence in others and just batted to the best of my ability.”
Carter said the support of head coach Desmond Haynes, the legendary former West Indies opener, had been invaluable.
“He has been telling me to keep backing myself. He knows that I am eager to play international cricket and he says that he sees the killer instinct in my face. He is a great guy,” Carter said.
After two solid performances with the bat, Tridents turned in their worst performance of the tournament when they were bundled out for 113 with two balls remaining.
Carter was the only batsman to pass 20 and one of four to reach double figures.
“I would say that shot selection wasn’t the best. As I have said before, it is a learning curve for each and every one of us,” he contended.
“It is the first time that we are playing the Champions League T20 and we all will learn from this experience.”
Tridents face Northern Districts in their final game.