Red Force to test Joseph, Carty
Vinode Mamchan
Published: Guardian
Friday, February 26, 2016
Alzari Joseph
T&T Red Force will battle the Leewards Hurricanes in their round eight WICB Professional Cricket League (PCL) clash at the National Cricket Centre (NCC) today and are expected to face the impressive West Indies U-19 pacer Alzari Joseph.
The Red Force fresh from an away win against the Jamaican Scorpions will be wary of the young pacer who was clocked at 147kmph during the recent ICC Youth World Cup in Bangladesh. Also on the team is batsman Keacy Carty who grabbed the man of the match award in the finals of the tournament, when he scored an unbeaten half century to give his team the title. Fast bowler Joseph was a standout in the tournament, bowling with consistent pace and movement to finish with 13 wickets.
He took three wickets in the final as part of an opening burst which crippled India early and set up the Windies eventual five-wicket win. Joseph who also played in four first-class games in the current season prior to the Youth World Cup, has so far taken 17 wickets including a career-best eight for 62 in a low-scoring contest against Windward Islands Volcanoes at Windsor Park last November.
Carty, meanwhile, is now poised to make his first class debut. Joseph and Carty have been included at the expense of batsman Sherwin Peters and seamer Quinton Boatswain. Hurricanes started the campaign with five straight defeats but are now unbeaten in the last two rounds after beating Jamaica Scorpions in the sixth round and drawing with Volcanoes in the last round.
They lie bottom of the standings on 36 points, five points of adrift of Volcanoes in fifth place. Title-holders Guyana Jaguars top the standings with 107 points. T&T Red Force is currently in fourth position with just 56 points—a whopping 41 points shy of the leaders Guyana Jaguars.
Manager of the T&T team Roland Sampath speaking to Guardian Media limited yesterday revealed that the T&T team will remain the same from the last week’s encounter against Jamaica. The Red Force on the back of two excellent knocks from Evin Lewis and an eight wicket haul from Jon Russ Jaggessar defeated the Scorpions at Sabina Park, despite losing on first innings. Looking ahead Sampath said: “The guys have been playing good cricket in recent times and they would want to go out there and continue the good work.
As the season progressed guys started coming into their own and we are seeing the results. Evin and Jon played excellently in the last game and we are looking for more from then and for others to step up as well. We have a good unit playing together and we expect another good match this weekend.â€
Play gets underway at 10am.
SQUADS
T&T Red Force:
Jason Mohammed (captain), Yannic Cariah, Narsingh Deonarine, Rayad Emrit, Kyle Hope, Akeal Hosein, Jon-Russ Jagessar, Steven Katwaroo, Imran Khan, Evin Lewis, Yannick Ottley, Marlon Richards, Jeremy Solozano.
Leewards Hurricanes:
Nkrumah Bonner (Captain), Orlando Peters (Vice Captain), Nelson Boland, Keacy Carty, Rahkeem Cornwall, Daron Cruickshank, Colin Hamer, Jahmar Hamilton, Montcin Hodge, Alzarri Joseph, Jeremiah Louis, Jacques Taylor, Gavin Tonge.
STANDINGS
FRANCHISES PTS M W L T I
Guyana Jaguars 107 7 6 0 0 1
Barbados Pride 90 7 4 1 0 2
Jamaica Scorpions 60 7 3 4 0 0
T&T Red Force 56 7 2 3 0 2
Windwards Volcanoes 41 7 1 4 0 2
Leewards Hurricanes 36 7 1 5 0 1
www.guardian.co.tt/sport/2016-02-26/red-force-test-joseph-carty
