T&T Red Force, despite not winning its opening match of the West Indies Four-day Championship, did play well against Jamaica Scorpions and now will battle the Leeward Islands Hurricanes in its second-round match at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, San Fernando on Thursday, hoping to go one better.
It's safe to say that the host team dominated the match after getting 460/4 declared and bowling out Jamaica for 278 in the first innings and then restricting them to 300/8 in the team's second batting essay.
The Leewards will come into the tussle on the back of a defeat to the Guyana Jaguars. They were let down by both their batsmen and bowlers and slumped to a big loss. Against this backdrop, both teams will be looking to pick up the pieces and turn their fortunes around in this contest.
Since the advent of the Professional Cricket League (PCL), the Red Force has held the edge over the Hurricanes and will be looking to build on that on its home turf where it has been slowly but surely turning around its fortunes.
Red Force holds the edge 5-3 in the 10 matches between the two sides in the PCL era but Hurricanes will fondly remember the corresponding fixture last season, which they won by 245 runs.
However, this match will be a showdown between two of the West Indies most gifted batting talents of the last decade, as both teams have found themselves out of the reckoning during the past year.
For left-handers, Darren Bravo, the Red Force captain, and Kieran Powell, the flamboyant Hurricanes opener, this season are about stamping their authority once again and regaining the confidence of the senior West Indies selection panel.
Bravo got a half-century in his side’s big first-innings total against Scorpions in the first round and Powell missed out on only his second Championship hundred by one run in the Hurricanes' second innings against the Jaguars.
Both batsmen will want to build on these green shoots and inspire confidence in their sides during the remainder of the Championship. There is also a possibility of a personal career landmark in this match, Jamaica-born Damion Jacobs, the Hurricanes leg-spinner, has taken 191 Championship wickets and needs nine more for 200.
Jacobs’ haul includes 163 scalps at 22.51 apiece in 39 matches for Scorpions before he was picked up by the Hurricanes in the PCL Draft last season.
Coach of the Red Force, Mervyn Dillon, is happy with the start and looking for more.
"We did pretty well in the first match but there is room for improvement. The pitch held up well and the Scorpions were able to run away with a draw but I think we could have still won, had our bowlers and fielders done better. We need to improve in both aspects if we want to win matches. This is our last home game before we hit the road for a while, so we will want to make use of it and keep the Leewards under pressure."
The first ball is timed for 9 am weather permitting.
TEAMS
RED FORCE
Darren Bravo (Captain), Yannic Cariah, Bryan Charles, Joshua da Silva, Terrance Hinds, Akeal Hosein, Jason Mohammed, Uthman Muhammed, Yannick Ottley, Keagan Simmons, Jeremy Solozano, Odean Smith
HURRICANES
Jahmar Hamilton (Captain), Colin Archibald, Sheeno Berridge, Quinton Boatswain, Keacy Carty, Montcin Hodge, Damion Jacobs, Amir Jangoo, Jaison Peters, Kieran Powell, Jacques Taylor, Devon Thomas.
UMPIRES: Zahid Bassarath, Verdayne Smith (Jamaica)
MATCH REFEREE: Hayden Bruce
RESERVE UMPIRE: Kellman Kowlessar