Super50 leaves room for major improvement

WITH the Colonial Medical Insurance Super50 Cup wrapped up, the West Indies Emerging Players have repeated the shocking result which saw the Combined Campuses and Colleges take the title last year. Led by Queen’s Park Cricket Club’s very own Yannic Cariah, the Emerging Players reminded doubters they’re not the rejects other teams didn’t want, they were simply the hungriest team in the tournament.

With that in mind and another regional One Day competition in the bag, Newsday looks at some of the biggest takeaways from a series which reiterates a lot of work is still needed to uplift the standard of Caribbean cricket both on and off the field.

GIVING YOUNG GUNS A CHANCE

Emerging Players head coach Floyd Reifer, someone very familiar as a leader in the senior team set-up over the years, made it clear the future is bright for the maroon. He touted players such as West Indies Under-19 stars, Kimani Melius and Ashmead Nedd, as proof after they helped the team take the trophy in emphatic fashion over a beleaguered Leeward Islands outfit. However, one thing that popped up was the term “opportunity.”

Leonardo Julien, another U-19 star, made a game-winning 83, not to mention players like Cariah and Joshua Da Silva may well have been on the outskirts of the Red Force. Cricket West Indies president Ricky Skerritt addressed Reifer’s concerns about keeping the squad together and said it’s not necessarily about one core unit, but creating opportunity for similar fringe players to move on to bigger and better things. It happened with CCC, who lost key players and crumbled this year, but it’s a cycle Skerritt doesn’t mind as he wants young players to keep moving up the ladder.

But as Julien said, they need opportunities to first showcase themselves. It remains to be seen how many more developmental squads will enter the next Super50 Cup and what will happen with players who aren’t in the U-19 circuit. But with players such as 23 year-old pacer Keon Harding (who finished third on the bowling charts with 18 victims) for the Emerging Players making an impact, there is a sense of promise for tomorrow, especially as Skerrit has vowed to secure funding for youth development moving forward so we can get more doors opening for players not in their national teams.

RED FARCE STRIKES AGAIN

Many thought the ghosts of old would be put to bed after CCC dismantled the Red Force in last year’s semis. After topping Zone A, it seemed a mere formality for Imran Khan’s squad to take out the Leewards but after losing aggression in their innings, fielding and catchy as sloppy as ever, and a spate of poor bowling which lacked pace variation, Jahmar Hamilton’s 78 off 34 saw the visitors go past TT’s 268. Once more it was a disgraceful exit, capped by Darren Bravo dropping a schoolboy catch off Hamilton in the 30’s that signalled defeat to come.

Red Force have many issues to address because to depart so unceremoniously at this hurdle – after once more boasting arguably the best team in the tournament – raises red flags. The batting still appears heavily reliant on Bravo (second on the charts with 481 runs) and Jason Mohammed (sixth with 357). There were bright spots from Tion Webster (two fifties), Jeremy Solozano (one century) and it was a breath of fresh air to see young Keagan Simmons coming to the fore, but the old formula isn’t working anymore.

Kyle Hope didn’t impress at all so maybe the likes of Julien and Da Silva (who made 310 runs) could find their way back home. Anderson Phillip’s pace also augurs well for the future but his fitness was questionable, leading to the pace debacle. Coach Mervyn Dillon said he wasn’t happy with the lack of pacers in his team so this will have to be dissected moving forward, as well as the niggles the players picked up because of “wet outfields” at crucial times. As he said, the team has no excuses and to the neutrals, it’s apparent they beat themselves. What is definitely apparent is Red Force need a more balanced team to return to the glory days.

THE WOEFUL CROWD SITUATION

Filling the stands is something CWI has to work on assiduously and even Skerritt acknowledged this. This tournament was broadcast on ESPN and to see a handful of fans at the TT grounds (the Oval and Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba) every match speaks volumes. Fans often want a say on players and administration but, apart from the Caribbean Premier League, they don’t come to games, so hopefully soon they put their money where their mouth is.

The quality of cricket needs improving but crowds can motivate players to elevate their games, and it’s not just an issue in Trinidad. It’s something across the Caribbean so, CWI needs to drastically step up on marketing and advertising in an age where a few social media banners or posters just won’t cut it. CPL hasn’t even maximised that online model yet, it’s paying dividends, so CWI must look at brand-building and establishing an identity and communications strategy to reel crowds in, translating online advocacy into a ticket purchase.

It was heartbreaking to see patrons not interested in Red Force games as in the past, the big stars such as Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Sunil Narine and the Bravos were present and fans were flocking to List A matches. So whether it’s offering free tickets to schools, to brands as cross-promotions or as give-aways, a new strategy is needed, especially for the young digital-savvy demographic if CWI is to attain this brand equity and have them fall in love with the game for years to come.

COLONIAL MEDICAL

INSURANCE SUPER50 CUP HONOUR ROLL

Richard Richardson Award (Leading Batsman) - Kieran Powell (Leewards), 524 runs

Curtly Ambrose Award (Leading Bowler) - Sheeno Berridge (Leewards), 23 wickets

Collis King Award (Best All-rounder) - Andre McCarthy (Jamaica), 363 runs, 11 wickets

Jeffery Dujon Award (Leading Wicket-Keeper) - Tevyn Walcott (Barbados), 14 dismissals (13 catches, 1 stumping)

Gus Logie Award (Most Outstanding Fielder) - Ashley Nurse (Barbados), Kieran Powell and Devon Thomas (Leewards), all with 9 catches

NEWSDAY TEAM OF THE TOURNAMENT

Kieran Powell, Andre McCarthy, Devon Thomas (368 runs), Darren Bravo (481 runs), Jason Mohammed (357 runs), Rovman Powell (412 runs), Joshua Da Silva (310 runs, 12 catches, one stumping), Ashley Nurse (19 wickets), Sheeno Berridge, Keon Harding (18 wickets), Kevin Sinclair (13 wickets, a tournament-best economy of 2.87)