Guyana’s Harpy Eagles and Trinidad and Tobago’s Red Force will slug it out at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy ground, Trinidad in a heavyweight clash of the Cricket West Indies CG United Regional Super50 competition.
The match is half of a double header with the West Indies Academy and the Leeward Islands duking it out in the other fixture at the Queen’s Park Oval ground.
The stage, however, is set for a thrilling encounter between the Red Force and the eagles in what promises to be an action-packed spectacle for cricket enthusiasts.
The Harpy Eagles kick-started their campaign with a somewhat unconvincing 10-run win over the Windward Islands Volcanoes on Tuesday with the Volcanoes pretty much gifting the Eagles the game after requiring 29 runs from the last 10 overs and losing.
This early challenge will undoubtedly fuel the Harpy Eagles’ determination to come out stronger in today’s showdown.
At the heart of the Eagles’ lineup is the ever-reliable Tagenarine Chanderpaul, ready to lead the charge. A point of intrigue for fans and a question for the selectors will be whether to promote in-form Tevin Imlach or even give the nod to Kevlon Anderson in place of regular opener Chandrapaul Hemraj who has not been at his best of late. Another option head coach, Ryan Hercules and company could explore is the inclusion of Kemol Savory to strengthen the team’s batting.
With this combinations, the Eagles batting lineup will be a serious a threat to any bowling line up. Shimron Hetmyer is one of the more accomplished batsmen in the team while the big hitting exploits of Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd makes for an imposing order. Kevin Sinclair has also been batting well of late evidenced by his innings of 41 in the opening match against the Windward Islands and could prove to be a bit of a problem for the Red Force.
The Harpy Eagles also possess a versatile bowling lineup with the likes of Shepherd, Rutherford and Nial Smith, who are poised to cause havoc for the Red Force batsmen. The Harpy Eagles could opt for extra pace with the inclusion of Ronsford Beaton. To add to their array of options, Guyana’s spin department is well covered with the established Test spinners, Veerasammy Permaul and Gudakesh Motie joined by Sinclair, who are more than capable of turning the tide in their favor. On the other hand the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force is no stranger to success, having secured victories against the Volcanoes and endured a no-result match against the Combined Campuses and Colleges.
Kjorn Ottley, has been instrumental in getting the Red Force off to flying start with an unbeaten century (136 not out) against the Windward Islands which guaranteed the red Force their first win.
He will no doubt want to continue that rich vein of form as well as Darren Bravo who stroked a half-century in the opening match which was affected by rain.
Jason Mohamed and Joshua Da Silva, though, have not yet registered big scores the fans have grown accustomed to. Should they get going, the Guyana bowlers could be in for a long day at the office.
The Red Force’s formidable bowling lineup, spearheaded by the experienced Sunil Narine and backed up by the likes of Akeal Hosein, Jayden Seales, Yannic Cariah and Shannon Gabriel, adds depth to their squad. This will undoubtedly make for an exciting contest as they aim to stifle the Harpy Eagles’ batting prowess.
With both teams looking to assert their dominance and secure a crucial win in the Regional Super50 competition, cricket fans can expect a riveting match that will keep them on the edge of their seats. The battle between the Harpy Eagles and the Red Force is sure to be a highlight of the tournament, so don’t miss a minute of the action.
Meanwhile West Indies Academy will look to arrest Leeward Islands Hurricanes simultaneously. The Academy will be brimming with confidence as their batters got off to a dream start with three registering half centuries. Hurricanes will also be confident in their batting line up led by Kieran Powell.
