Dillon eager to improve Red Force fortunes

FORMER TT and West Indies fast bowler Mervyn Dillon has been named the new coach of the TT Red Force team. Dillon, 44, replaces Kelvin Williams, who has stepped down from the post after a poor run of form stretching back to last season.

The TT Cricket Board (TTCB) also announced yesterday that David Furlonge, a member of the men’s team selection panel, will take over as team manager from ex-national allrounder Roland Sampath as team manager. Furlonge will perform dual roles as manager/assistant coach.

Batting struggles continue to plague the Red Force who have lost six out of their last seven matches in the West Indies Four-Day Championship. They finished last in the four-day tournament last season and are less than a point above bottom in the current campaign.

Under Williams this season, TT have lost all three of their home fixtures, all at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba (versus Windward Islands Volcanoes, Leeward Islands Hurricanes and Barbados Pride) and won their sole away game vs the Jamaica Scorpions.

Dillon, in a telephone interview yesterday, said, “I understand fully well the responsibility of being the coach, because of the results we’ve had with our team. It’s something that I really look forward to. It’s going to be a challenge until I get myself settled in.”

He added, “There are things that I’ll like to see done differently and I hope that they can happen. But I understand the system that I’ll be in; the system is not going to literally change to fit me, I have to adjust as well. I really look forward to it and I hope that I can make a difference, especially with the guys that are coming through with so much talent that we have."

What area Dillon think TT can improve?

“I think the biggest problem for us is man-management from my coaching aspect. The talent is there, I think it’s more managing at a holistic level,” he said.

Dillon was informed about his appointment yesterday afternoon during a meeting with TTCB president Azim Bassarath, at the TTCB office, National Cricket Centre, Balmain, Couva.

According to the former UTT coach, “Kelvin is somebody that I grew up under. Kelvin, Phil Simmons and Ian Bishop were the three people that brought me into the ranks.

“Kelvin and I have spoken. He’s been in the system long enough. He didn’t like the results that he was getting. We have been good friends for a very long time.”

The Red Force will resume their 2018-2019 Four-Day Championship campaign on January 31 with a home clash against defending champs Guyana Jaguars at the Queen’s Park Oval, St Clair.

A full-strength Red Force team, including the Bravo brothers – Dwayne and Darren, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Lendl Simmons, Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Rampaul, Rayad Emrit and captain Denesh Ramdin, were widely tipped to win the 2018 Regional Super50 tournament last October.

However, their hopes crashed in the semi-final at the Kensington Oval, Barbados when, against eventual champions Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners, TT were bowled out for just 92 en route to a seven-wicket defeat.

Williams, the former TT allrounder, had replaced former WI middle-order batsman Gus Logie as Red Force coach ahead of the 2017-2018 Regional Four-Day Championship in a second stint in charge.