Guyana face-off with T&T in T20 show down...All roads lead to Providence today

Guyana face-off with T&T in T20 show down…All roads lead to Providence today

Aug 30, 2013 Sports

By Sean Devers
Tonight the Guyana National Stadium at Providence should come alive when 2010 Champions League qualifiers Guyana face-off with defending Caribbean T20 champions Trinidad and Tobago’s Red Force in a feature T20 showdown as they prepare for their trip to India next month for the Champions League T20 cricket tournament.

Denesh Ramdin

Two practice matches for T&T are scheduled for tonight and tomorrow night respectively starting at 20:00hrs under lights.
The T&T batsmen could be put under tough scrutiny by the strengthened Guyana bowling attack which includes the Jamaican left-arm seam bowling pair of Krishmar Santokie and Sheldon Cottterrell as their overseas recruits.
Santokie, the Man-of-the-Tournament in the just concluded LCPL competition which 16 scalps playing for the Guyana Amazon Warriors, could be relied on to bowl ‘dead Strength’ on what should be a low and slow track while Cottterrell’s extra pace could hustle the batsmen after he represented Antigua in the LCPL.
With the LCPL cricket fever still in the air, another capacity crowd is anticipated to provide a carnival like atmosphere on both nights as the arch-rivals battle for bragging rights in the middle.
Tickets cost just $1,000 for any stand and two games are carded for each day. Today, Universal DVD Club Berbice Titans play DCC Wolverines from 15:00hrs while tomorrow the second overseas line-up, Suriname Tigers, take on West Demerara Mavericks also from 15:00hrs in the supporting games.
Gates will be opened from 14:00hrs and tickets can also be bought from the GCB booth at Providence.
Lendl Simmons and Denesh Ramdin will once again don the T & T uniform after representing Guyana in this year’s inaugural Caribbean Premier league. Fast Bowler Ravi Rampaul also return to the side after injury forced him out of the LCPL.
Adrian Barath and Simmons will hope to give the visitors a solid foundation while Jason Mohamed, Denish Ramdin, Sherwin Ganga, Rayad Emrit and 17-year-old LCPL find Nicholas Pooran gives the T&T batting plenty of firepower even without Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo. The pair will represent their IPL teams in the Champions League.
Based on media reports which quotes Manager Omar Khan, Sunil Narine and Darren Bravo asked to be excused from these matches and their request was accommodated. They have been replaced by prolific opener Nicholas Sookdeosingh and all-rounder Imran Khan.
Paul Wintz, Chris Barnwell and 21-year-old Keon Joseph could provide pace support for Santokie and Cottterrell while spinners Veerasammy Permaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Steven Jacobs, Zaheer Mohamed, Rajiv Ivan and Devendra Bishoo, who played for Barbados in the LCPL, will look to test the T&T batsmen. It is not certain if Amazon Warriors Captain Ramnaresh Sarwan will be fit to play since he is nursing a wrist injury.
Guyana’s batting will center around shot-maker Trevon Griffith, Wicket- Keeper Anthony Bramble, Deonarine, Leon Johnson, Jacobs and Barnwell. They should provide the bulk of the runs for the home team while Ravi Rampaul will want to prove his fitness with the ball for T&T.

Narsingh Deonarine

Shannon Gabriel is the quickest bowler in what should be a riveting contest and he could receive back up from Emrit and Navin Stuart.
T&T squad: Lendl Simmons, Evin Lewis, Yannick Ottley, Nicholas Sookdeosingh, Jason Mohammed, Denesh Ramdin, Nicholas Pooran, Adrian Barath, Samuel Badree, Sherwin Ganga, Ravi Rampaul, Shannon Gabriel, Navin Stewart, Rayad Emrit, and Imran Khan.
Technical Team: Dudnath Ramkeesoon, Omar Khan, David Williams, Kelvin Williams, Oba Gulston, Denesh Mahabir.
Guyana team: Narsingh Deonarine, Chris Barnwell, Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo, Steven Jacobs, Trevon Griffith, Paul Wintz, Keon Joseph, Anthony Bramble, Rajiv Ivan, Leon Johnson, Robin Bacchus, Zaheer Mohamed, Sheldon Cottterrell, Krishmar Santokie, Esaun Crandon (Coach), Orin Bailey (Assistant Coach), Alvin Johnson (Manager).