Red Force manager: We were keen to avenge 2024 loss

AFTER being embarrassed at home against Barbados Pride last year, the TT Red Force wanted to make amends for that forgettable showing in the 2025 West Indies Four-Day Championships. Red Force did so emphatically, crushing the Pride in two days at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, in a round-five match which ended on March 13.

Red Force now have four wins and one draw, an identical record as Guyana Harpy Eagles. Both teams are leading the six-team table.

The Pride batting lineup, which included many international cricketers, had no answers for Red Force pacers Jayden Seales, Anderson Phillip and Joshua James.

The trio combined to grab 16 of the 20 wickets for Red Force in the contest.

Barbados were embarrassingly bundled out for 86 in the first innings, as the experienced lineup of Kraigg Brathwaite, Shai Hope, Roston Chase and Jason Holder struggled against the Red Force attack.

In response, Red Force posted 263 to earn a healthy lead of 177 runs. The Pride batsmen did not fare any better in the second innings, as the Barbadians were all out for 121 as Red Force won by an innings and 56 runs.

It was Red Force's turn to smile after Pride blew away TT by eight wickets at the Queen's Park Oval in St Clair in the 2024 campaign.

Speaking to Newsday on March 14, Red Force manager Sebastian Edwards said, "After the licks we got from them last year in the Oval, I think this year the guys were up for a fight...After that loss last year and how bad it was, basically (lost) in two days and a piece."

Red Force coach Rayad Emrit said, "We know going to Barbados was always going to be a tough challenge. They got the better of us over the last few years and playing at home they are a very strong unit."

The character his players showed in the previous round against West Indies Academy spilled over to the Pride clash, said Emrit.

The groundsmen produced a grassy wicket at Kensington Oval with the hope that the Barbadian pacers, including veteran Kemar Roach, would take advantage of the conditions. That plan backfired spectacularly.

Edwards said, "This wicket that Barbados produced, I think they were kind of hoping they would have done to us what we kind of did to them...The wicket was literally a carpet. Apart from that, the wicket was not playing true, it was up and down all over the place."

Edwards and Emrit said Seales, Phillip and James were ruthless.

"Jayden and Andy were really up for the fight," Edwards said. "James was the surprise package. James was a handful on that wicket because of his height and the extra pace. They could not play him."

Tobagonian James, who is having a breakthrough season, stands at around 6 ft 6 inches.

"Even the Bajan supporters were talking about how well we bowled on the pitch," Emrit said. "Jayden is an international player and Andy as well. To see these guys bowl like this, consistently throughout the game, the kind of pace they bowled on the wicket. Joshua James was very impressive. He got the ball to move both ways, he got a lot of bounce."

Edwards said the Red Force batters were patient, which helped them post more than 250.

The TT coach likes the attitude in the team. "We have a very talented bunch of guys and the passion we are showing now is second to none. As a coach, that is exactly what you want and I can't ask for nothing more from these guys."

Emrit said winning the title is in the back of their minds, but there is still two rounds to be played.

"It is always a conversation because of where we are in the table, but we are not going to look too far ahead. Yes, it is definitely in our minds, but we have two more hurdles to cross...We just want to focus on each game at a time."

Red Force will play their last two matches at home. In the next round bowling off on April 2, Red Force battle Jamaica Scorpions at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba and then face Harpy Eagles at the Queen's Park Oval from April 9.