Confident Red Force battle Guyana in Super50

Trinidad and Tobago Red Force will go after their second straight win in the 2023 CG United Regional Super50 Cup on Saturday, when they meet the Guyana Harpy Eagles, from 1 pm, in a day/night fixture at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA) in Tarouba.

On Thursday, Red Force got an impressive six-wicket win versus the Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Queen's Park Oval in St Clair, with opening batsman Kjorn Ottley notching a career-best score of 134 not out to seal the win. Red Force also got solid contributions with the bat from Tion Webster (40 off 60 balls) and Terrance Hinds (26 not out off 15 balls) as they chased the 255-run target set by the Windwards.

Leg-spinner Yannic Cariah took a haul of four for 57 as he accounted for the first four Windwards wickets. Mystery spinner Sunil Narine had figures of two for 29.

Speaking to Newsday ahead of the encounter, which is a rematch of the 2021 Super50 final, Red Force coach David Furlonge wants his team to play in the same vein against Guyana.

"We have our plans on how to counteract their batsmen and bowlers and it's about executing the plans we have," Furlonge said.

"It's about playing a good game of cricket. We know it's going to be a difficult game but we are confident going into it."

The Harpy Eagles are also riding high from their own victory over the Windwards, as they eked out an unlikely ten-run win on Tuesday at the same BLCA venue. Guyana made a modest score of 229 for nine in the opening encounter, with Tevin Imlach and man-of-the-match Kevin Sinclair both scoring 41 runs.

In the chase, the Windwards were flying at 109 for two in the 15th over at one stage. However, with the fall of Alick Athanaze's wicket for 75, the Windwards crumbled as their last eight wickets fell for just 110 runs. Romario Shepherd led the Guyana attack with figures of three for 35. Sinclair and seamer Nial Smith took two wickets apiece.

Furlonge is very much aware of the threat posed by the Guyana bowlers, and he paid particular attention to their spin-attack.

"The pitch down there (at BLCA) is turning, but it looks like a good wicket. It assists both the fast-bowlers and spinners. We have to look at their main bowlers. They have (Gudakesh Motie), Veerasammy Permaul and Sinclair. They have three left-arm spinners so we hope our left-handed batsmen will counteract that bounce and turn they are getting there."

On Thursday, the left-handed Ottley took on the batting responsibility as he got the first hundred of this year's tournament. Another aggressive left-hander, Evin Lewis, is in line for a recall after being sidelined by a "slight hamstring" injury.

"Evin is available for selection for the next game. The two openers played well on Thursday. They got us off to the start that we needed. We will have to look at the composition of the team going into the next game with Evin now available."

Red Force, last year's Super50 runners-up, emphatically defeated Guyana in the 2021 final at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua. In that final, Lendl Simmons, Ravi Rampaul and rising fast-bowling talent Jayden Seales all starred as TT got a 151-run win.

In last year's tournament, the two rivals registered a victory apiece in their two group meetings as they progressed to the semi-finals. It remains to be seen how their 2023 story will unfold.

"We look forward to a good cricket game and we look forward to the (guys) being consistent in their play. After yesterday's performance, we continue to build until we reach our peak. We haven't peaked yet."

Red Force are second on the eight-team table to the Leeward Islands Hurricanes. In Saturday's other match, Leewards will take on the West Indies Academy from 9 am at the Queen's Park Oval.