TT Red Force run hot and cold

MERVYN Dillon, coach of the TT Red Force cricket team, must be totally confused by the performances of his players during this season of 2020. It is almost as if he has some maljo curse placed on him! I say this because of the wonderful start his cricketers were off to at the beginning of the season down at the Brian Lara stadium at Tarouba. Although that first game against Jamaica was drawn, there were some excellent individual performances. Of course, Dillon would be wise enough to know the game of cricket and what a fickle master it can be.

In that first game, things were going swimmingly with hundreds coming off the bat of experienced and non-experienced batsmen with ease of accumulation. Centuries were registered by both 21-year-old Joshua Da Silva and off the mature bat of his club-mate Yannic Cariah. And with excellent innings being played by Keagan Simmons and the captain Darren Bravo in a total of 461 for 4 wickets, the coach could be forgiven for believing that wisdom and responsibility had combined to arrive at the development long promised. The Jamaica Scorpions managed to hold on for a draw.

In the very next game versus Leeward Islands Hurricanes at the same venue, his team steamed forward, led by their enterprising skipper, who blasted a ton himself, encouraging the series debutant, Terrance Hinds, at number 9 in the order, to slam a brilliant hundred in 77 balls. The RF, much to the delight of Dillon, totalled 552 for 9 declared, winning the game by a considerable margin of an innings and 168 runs.

One can imagine the sense of accomplishment at the start of a season. Usually, this is how one looks forward to bowl-off in the tournament, with outstanding feats by its cricketers. And Dillon and his charges felt great, although the coach kept warning his players that there were improvements that had to be made to keep up the good work. As knowledge would prove, with the first two games at home, there’s a definite advantage; although devoid of crowd support at the ground, there’s a comfort one enjoys playing on terrain one is accustomed to and mixing with friends and family within the security of home.

Hence, after a great start, the Red Force hit the road and ran straight into a brick wall that seemingly, not even the wisdom of coach Dillon, could lead them into cooler pastures. Guyana Jaguars was the next port of call and the cock-a-hoop Trinis were looking forward to it. Their batting form was rich, their bowling statistics sharp. The only problem was dropped catches, so something to work on at practice.

After capitulating the Jaguars batting for a reasonable 323, the magic batting form of the RF was ready to rumble. However, as happens in sport, a complete reversal mesmerized coach and team, the form horses folded meekly for 98 runs! While in two previous innings in two different games where they only batted one innings per match and their batsmen were in a dominant form already scoring four centuries with numerous fifties, this flop was a shocker. The coach must have been at his wit’s end to solve the meaning of this collapse!

The South Americans, still smarting from a convincing defeat by Barbados Pride, turned the screws tightly, blistering their way to 177 for 5 wickets declared in the second innings and wiped away the shell-shocked tourists, bowling them for 183, winning by the substantial margin of 219 runs.

After a truly solid start, the cricketers from the land of the hummingbird, having been brought back down to earth, could only re-ignite the fire of assurance they had in their belly from the start, by building confidence and attitude in practice.

Rain interfered with the game in Dominica, an island known for its high precipitation rate, so that a score of 374 for 9 declared by the RF showed a glimpse of a return to form. Windward Islands Volcanoes could only muster 293 for 8 in reply.

Then in Barbados, Dillon’s boys again were running hot and cold.

After a bright start in the field, the home team languishing at 46 for 6, they were allowed to escape to 209, the reverse happening to the RF. From 71 for 1 to all out 175. It was all over bar the shouting!

Three home and two away games to go!