Bermuda face stern test from top Trinidad club
Bermuda?s national cricket team face another stern test in Trinidad tomorrow against the same Clarke Road United club side who handed them a nine-wicket thrashing last month.
Having arrived on the Caribbean Island on Wednesday, Gus Logie?s men step out in Couva for what will be their only warm-up match ahead of next week?s official One-Day Internationals against Canada and Zimbabwe at Queen?s Park Oval, the oldest Test ground in the region.
Led by centurion Sean Siloch (104 retired) and teenage left arm off spinner Dane Teelucksingh, who grabbed four wickets for 17 runs, Clarke Road thumped Bermuda at the Penal ground early last month for what turned out to be tourists? sole defeat during their second tour of the Caribbean in a year.
And according to Clark Road coach Roland Sampath, Bermuda can again expect to find their work cut out against the Division One side which boasts six former Trinidad national team players, one current national team member (batsman Gregory Mahabir) and two promising Trinidad Under-19 players on the fringe of senior national team cricket.
Clark Road will again pin their hopes of success on a five-pronged spin attack containing the likes of Mukesh Prasad, Mahadeo Bodoe, David Sultan, Alen Mahabir and Teelucksingh on a pitch expected to favour the slower bowlers.
?Our spinners did the job against Bermuda last month and I actually warned Gus (Logie) this morning that we are coming at you again with the spinners because we know Bermuda like the ball coming on to the bat,? Sampath told from Trinidad yesterday.
?The pitch is in very good condition and should be a fairly good batting track.?
During the previous outing between the two sides, right handed opening bat Siloch smashed his unbeaten century off 101 balls to lay the foundation for his team?s convincing win.
?He is really something to watch when he gets going at the crease,? Sampath said.
Two other batsmen Sampath singled out were teenagers Adrian Barath ? tipped to be the next Brian Lara ? and Jeewon Ramroop.
?Adrian is very, very good. He has to be if he?s already being considered as the next Brian Lara,? Sampath said. ?He?s only 16 years of age but has already been called to the senior national team.?
Bermuda mustered 226 for seven in their previous outing against Clark Road who replied with 230 for one in 38.4 overs.
Treadwell Gibbons jr (48) topped the local batting while skipper Irving Romaine hit 34, Daniel Morgan 29 and Stephen Bremar jr 28. Bermuda?s bowlers all failed to take a wicket on a placid pitch.
Bermuda spinner Hasan Durham will miss tomorrow?s match after work commitments kept him on the Island. He?s due to fly to Trinidad tomorrow and will be available for next week?s ODIs.