T&T to meet Jamaica on opening day of domestic one-dayers

Reigning domestic one-day champions Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) and regional four-day title-holders Jamaica will clash in one of four matches on the first day of the WICB President's Cup one-day tournament in Guyana from October 28.

T&T, who currently hold both-50-over and Twenty20 titles, will face the Jamaicans in a Zone A fixture at the National Stadium in Providence.

At last year's tournament, T&T beat Barbados by seven wickets in the final to emerge new champions. Jamaica are enjoying a solid year in regional cricket and will be going for a fifth regional title in the 2009 campaign having won the four-day George Headley/Everton Weekes Trophy, the CLICO Under-15 title and the U-19 three-day and one-day titles at home in August. Other matches on the opening day are Windward Islands against Combined Campuses and Colleges at Everest in Zone A, Barbados against West Indies Under-19s at Bourda, and Guyana facing the Leeward Islands at Enmore in Zone B.

The other preliminary round dates are October 30 and 31 before the semi-finals on November 2 and November 3, with the final set for November 5.

The WICB confirmed that all preliminary round matches will start at 9.15 am (local time) while the semis and final are day-night fixtures listed for 1.30 pm starts at the National Stadium.

Cricinfo

T&T manager hails 'team of dreamers'

Trinidad & Tobago manager Colin Borde has termed as "a team of dreamers" the side that left for India to compete in the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 starting October 8. Despite the lack of star players and experience in subcontinent conditions Borde said the island team would push itself much harder to prove to the world that they are a quality side.

"The team itself shows a lot of discipline and it is not a difficult task to keep them straight as a pin and as players you guys look out for each other and that's an important part of teamwork and you can see that in how these guys play," he said. "I have known a lot of these guys from a very young age and I have seen them grow into professional cricketers and I know they are never satisfied with the success that they have and that is great. There is a hunger for success and they are always willing to learn."

T&T are pooled with England Twenty20 Cup runners-up Somerset and IPL champions Deccan Chargers, sides that boast a few international names. Borde, however, said that no particular team or individual had the players in awe. "This team has a lot of confidence... I have never seen them crack under pressure. We have a saying that it is just cricket, just bat and bowl. They have a lot of confidence in their ability and a lot of that confidence comes from hard work they have put in over the last few months, said the manager.

"This is a very disciplined team, they have put in the work... they sometimes complain but they always comply. They worked extremely hard at it and their dreams are big dreams. I don't think I have ever met a player on the Trinidad and Tobago team who did not believe that he could go on to be an international player. Their idols are world-class individuals and not only cricketers - sportsmen.

"These guys think big and I hope that the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board continues to encourage these guys to think big and dream big. This is a team of dreamers and most of their dreams are coming through because most of the requisite work is being done."

T&T will play two warm-up matches before playing their first tournament match against Somerset in Bangalore on October 12. They play Deccan on October 14 in Hyderabad.

T&T squad: Daren Ganga (capt), Dwayne Bravo, Lendl Simmons, William Perkins, Kieron Pollard, Sherwin Ganga, Navin Stewart, Samuel Badree, Darren Bravo, Ravi Rampaul, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Sunil Narine, Adrian Barath, Rayad Emrit, Dave Mohammed.

Cricinfo

Win would boost Caribbean - Ganga

Against the backdrop of the players dispute threatening to tear apart West Indies cricket, Trinidad & Tobago captain Daren Ganga said the team has a leading role to play in representing the entire region on the world stage and bringing smiles back to the Caribbean. Ganga stressed that the ongoing contracts row was not a distraction for the side that landed in India to compete in the Champions League Twenty20.

"It would be good for the entire Caribbean if we win this competition," he said in Bangalore. "Like we saw in the Stanford Super Series, when West Indies beat England, there is a lot to be gained. Hopefully we can have a positive effect on West Indian cricket.

"We're not just representing T&T, but the entire West Indian public and cricketing fraternity know that we're here representing them as well. This is virtually a West Indian team representing the entire region. As much as we want to do well for T&T, we have a bigger role in terms of representing the entire West Indies."

Several meetings between the West Indies Cricket Board and the West Indies Players' Association have failed to break the impasse, though now with the mediation of the Caribbean community (CARICOM), talks are due to restart. Ganga chose not to comment too much on "that fiasco", but echoed Dwayne Bravo's comments about the ongoing impasse.

"It [the contracts row] is something that has been playing on the minds of all West Indian cricketers, but a lot of people are getting involved, such as the CARICOM governments and stakeholders in West Indies cricket, trying to resolve the situation. We as players know that the issue is not going to help us as a nation and we are optimistic that soon a full-strength West Indies will be competing at the international level once more. Despite the fiasco I still think West Indies cricket is strong.

"It has been an ongoing issue but we are focusing on this tournament as we have for the last couple months. A lot of players are frustrated by what has been happening at the international level, but we in Trinidad & Tobago have been focusing really hard on this competition and hopefully you will see the rewards. "

Ganga gave credit to Allen Stanford, the Texan billionaire and cricket entrepreneur who sponsored the Stanford Twenty20 tournament in the Caribbean as well as the one-off fixture between England and Stanford Superstars. Stanford is facing charges of fraud totalling US$ 7 billion and the WICB has not been paid the US$3.5 million fee owed to it from the Stanford 20/20 for 20 tournament last November, but Ganga felt Caribbean cricket had gained from Stanford's investment.

"Apart from the monetary purses and the cash prizes for each player, what Allen Stanford did is he contributed financially to each territorial board and by extension each Caribbean nation," he said. "You had a lot of financial aid being given to structures, to facilities and to equipment. Our cricket is better enhanced with his input and we're reaping the rewards of his investment."

Ganga also said it was evident to all that there was talent coming through the ranks after the Stanford era, brief though it was. "A lot of players, just look at Kieron Pollard have come through after such Twenty20 tournaments, so there are a lot of positives coming out of it [the Stanford Series]. A lot of players can go on to play international cricket from regional cricket."

This is T&T's second opportunity playing outside the regional competitions, after they featured in the Stanford Super Series last year. They beat Middlesex and lost to England by 1 run, so from a team point of view, Ganga said, the standard of play must remain high. "We've got a nice blend of players who've played international cricket and those who've been knocking on the door, so we're ready for this tournament. We started our preparation in July and have been very thorough. You are going to see some very exciting cricket from Trinidad & Tobago."

Jamie Alter
Cricinfo

Asgarali heads TTCB North Zone again

The majority of the Executive of the North Zonal Cricket Council of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board was re-elected unopposed at the Zone’s 29th Annual General Meeting on Sunday at the Queen’s Park Oval.

Don Asgarali was re-elected as chairman of the zone while Patrick Rampersad was elected vice-chairman.

Stephen Martel retained the post of secretary and Mahabir Ragoonanan was re-elected treasurer. The three representatives to the Board are, Asgarali, Martel and Ragoonanan.

The 29th AGM was described as successful with the presentation of the chairman and secretary’s report and the audited financial statement for the year ending July 31, 2009.

T&T Newsday

Maraj recalled to national training

Former West Indies Under-19 opening batsman, Tishan Maraj has been recalled by the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) to commence preparation for the forthcoming West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) President’s Cup tournament.

Training sessions will commence today at the National Cricket Centre, Balmain, Couva from 3.30pm. Maraj who has represented the West Indies Under-15 and Under-19 teams was unavailable for selection over the past season since he was qualifying to become a doctor at the University of the West Indies, Mt Hope Campus.

Also included in the training sessions are allrounders Richard Kelly and Imran Khan along with Ceramic Merry Boys opening batsman Mario Belcon and Clico Preysal spinner Magnum Nanan. The President’s Cup will be held in Guyana with the national team opening its title defence against Four Dar champions Jamaica on October 28 at Providence.

Training List: Gibran Mohammed, Shannon Gabriel, Atiba Allert, Magnum Nanan, Imran Khan, Amit Jaggernauth, Richard Kelly, Justin Guillen, Daron Cruickshank, Kevon Cooper, Nicholas Ramjass, Rishi Bachan, Dane Teelucksingh, Rishaad Harris, Deepak Kumar, Nicholas Sookdeosingh, Jason Mohammed, Tishan Maraj.

T&T Newsday

Emrit warns of heat, flat wickets in India

TRINIDAD and Tobago allrounder, Rayad Emrit has stressed the importance of the team keeping hydrated during the Airtel Champions League Twenty20 tournament in India.

Emrit represented the West Indies in two matches against India on their home soil in 2007 and is expecting humid conditions.

“The team will meet two major obstacles when we get to India. Firstly we will have to battle the time difference but also the heat.

It is key that players re-hydrate so we could prevents things like cramp which would hinder us from performing at our best,” said Emrit.

Coupled with the testing conditions Emrit explained that the wickets in India favours batsmen thereby needing the Trinidad and Tobago bowling attack to be at its best at all times.

“When I went to India with the West Indies team I played two matches and the wickets were batsman friendly. I was not adequately prepared for those conditions .

Now I am more experienced and am better prepared. It is going to be tough but we have enough ammo in our team to accomplish the dream of winning this tournament,” said Emrit.

The Alescon Comets player revealed that West Indies allrounder Dwayne Bravo and Denesh Ramdin is playing an important role in educating the players about the conditions in India.

“Dwayne has played in the Indian Premier League and Denesh has played One-Day International and Test cricket I believe there. They are both useful allrounders and a loss depends on how they perform,” said Emrit.

T&T Newsday

T&T cricketers off to Champions League

THE Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) hosted a farewell function for the national team on Friday night at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Port-of-Spain.

Attending the function were President of Trinidad and Tobago, Professor George Maxwell Richards and wife Dr Jean Ramjohn Richards; president of the TTCB, Deryck Murray; Chief Executive Officer, Forbes Persaud; second vice-president Leo Doodnath; Executive Director of the Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago (Sportt), Darion William; Australian High Commissioner, Phillip Kentwell; members of the British diplomatic corp and the national team.

The team which was scheduled to leave for India yesterday evening to compete in the Champions League Twenty20 tournament was greeted by President Richards.

Giving the opening address, second vice-president Doodnath stated that the national team has created history by becoming the first national team to compete at the Airtel Champions League Twenty20 tournament. He also expressed confidence about their chances.

“The maximum number of games any team can play is six and we will be playing all six,” said Doodnath. He paid tribute to captain Daren Ganga and his team while wishing them the best of luck at the tournament.

Executive Director of Sportt, Williams acknowledged the pride and joy the national team has brought to the country through their success at the regional level and at the Stanford Super Series.

He explained that the Ministry of Sport is hoping that the success of the team in India will inspire a new generation to achieve.

“I know that you guys will not be around playing cricket forever and we hope that your success can spur on a new generation of cricketers. We hope that your mentorship is passed on and that you represent Trinidad and Tobago with pride and glory,” said Williams.

Manager of the national team, Colin Borde explained that the team was ready for the tournament after months of preparation.

“This a disciplined group of players and they govern themselves. It shows what a fantastic job my predecessor Omar Khan did with the team and transforming them into a well oiled unit,” said Borde.

Kern Ramlochan
T&T Newsday

Ramjit stars in Triumph windball

A FINE allround performance by Ronnie Ramjit enabled Modern Electrical to complete a 10-run victory over Cousins in the Triumph Andy’s Wheel Windball tournament at Garden Village in Arouca.

Ramjit played with composure leading the innings with a knock of 31 runs. He ensured with the assistance of Davindra Joseph (20) that Modern Electrical closed on a strong total of 88 for three.

Ramjit continued his strong performance in the match with the ball. He took two for 13 as Cousins threatened to mount a successful run chase. However, their batsmen were unable to apply themselves at the crease and were eventually dismissed for 78 with Kenneth Baptiste top scoring with 13 runs.

Summarised Scores:

MODERN ELECTRICAL 88/3 - Ronnie Ramjit 31, Davindra Joseph 20 vs COUSINS 78 - Kenneth Baptiste 13, Ronnie Ramjit 2/13

FREE STYLE 66/3 - Jonathan Narine 30, Juan Carlos Narine 23, Shane De Silva 1/14 vs OLD BOYZ CREW B 63/6 - Daniel Balkaran 15, Amin Hosein 12, Juan Carlos Narine 3/6

BANDELEROS 57/6 - Prakash Singh 21, Riaz Mohammed 9, David John 2/4 vs OLD BOYZ CREW A 45 - Sheahan De Silva 14, Kevin Baptiste 8, Prakash Singh 2/8

D’RIVER LIME 66/5 - Georgie Podan 34, Danielle Ramsawak 2/11 vs HUNTERS 50/6 - Ricky Mohammed 10, Danielle Ramsawak 10, Georgie Podan 2/6

BRIGADIER 55/6 - Mitra Ramkissoon 13, Darren Maharaj 7, Ramesh Singh 2/6 vs OLD ROAD UNITED 39 - Kevin Mohammed 5, Rohan Rampersad 2/2

FEARLESS ONE 42/2 - Everald Smith 11, Junior Griffith 11 vs GREEN GOLD 41/6 - Mark Sankar 12, Everald Smith 2/4

BON AIR BOYS 26/2 - Tyrell Petti 15 vs TROUBLE MAKERS 25/4 - Don Carlos Mohammed 12, Tyrell Petti 1/2

AWESOME 48 - Shyam Ramjitsingh 14, Amit Arjoon 10, Shivanan Harrypersad 3/8 vs BANDELEROS 33/6 - Shivanan Harrypersad 8, Shyam Ramjitsingh 2/7

OLD BOYZ CREW B 100/4 - Aaron Rampersad 29, Daniel Balkaran 20, Ricky Ramlal 18, Rocky Ramsook 2/6 vs SMOKE DEM 20/4 - Rocky Ramsook 10, David Balkaran 4/6

COUSINS 63/6 - Ricky Benjamin 27, Regan Hernandez 2/13 vs BON AIR BOYS 50 - Kevin Ali 24, Shastri Daniel 2/4

GREEN GOLD 58/5 - Jose Patilla 24, Ravi Maharaj 2/7 vs SMOKEYZ 39 - Ravi Maharaj 8, Junior Joseph 3/6

007 def RIVER LIME SMASHERS (Default)

AWESOME def BALL UNITED (Default)

GREEN GOLD def 300 SPARTAN (Default)

FEARLESS ONE def SURREY STOP FORCE (Default)

AWESOME def RIVER LIME SMASHERS (Default)

TAKE & PAST def RIVER LIME SMASHERS (Default)

FEARLESS ONE def 300 SPARTAN (Default)

COUSINS def HEAVY UNITED (Default)

T&T Newsday

Coach Williams says T&T must adapt to win

COACH of the Trinidad and Tobago cricket team, Kelvin Williams believes that the key for Trinidad and Tobago being successful at the Champions League Twenty20 tournament is their ability to adapt to the conditions in India.

“It is very important for us to adapt and it will be a major part of our strategy. We have four practice matches before the first game and we need to make full use of these matches and understanding the conditions is a vital part for us,” said Williams yesterday.

The Trinidad and Tobago coach noted that all-rounder Dwayne Bravo will be a key factor in ensuring that the players adapt to conditions in India.

“Dwayne has played in the Indian Premier League and he is very experienced. He is also the vice-captain of the team and has an important role to play. His experience and knowledge will be critical for us,” said Williams.

He added that the experienced players in the team will have to guide the younger players and is confident that a cohesive unit will bring success.

Left-arm spinner Dave Mohammed will be an integral part of Trinidad and Tobago’s chances of winning the lucrative Twenty20 tournament especially on the spinner friendly Indian wickets.

“Dave and Samuel (Badree) who opens the bowling for us have important roles to play. Dave excelled at the Stanford tournaments and he brings an exuberance to the team. He is a character and is the clown of the team and the antics and excitement he brings will bring a lift to the squad,” said Williams.

Trinidad and Tobago have included Adrian Barath and Sunil Narine who both have limited Twenty20 experience at the regional and international level.

Barath possess an outstanding limited overs and four-day record while Narine has played one First Class match for the national team. However, Williams is confident in the younger players in the team and believe that they will prove themselves.

Kern Ramlochan
T&T Newsday

Rampaul, Narine star in trial match

Rampaul bowled with pace and accuracy taking three for 14 and significantly hampered the Jaggernauth XI run chase. Queen’s Park spinner Narine who was a surprise inclusion in the national team for the Champions League Twenty20 tournament in India took two for 10 as the Jaggernauth XI were restricted to 146 for six from their 20 overs.

Pacer Navin Stewart attempted to hit the Jaggernauth XI back into the match with an unbeaten knock of 46 but his attempt proved futile. Attacking batsman Justin Guillen make 28 runs.

Earlier, skipper Ganga paced his team to a challenging total of 166 for six from 20 overs. He topscored with 38 runs with hard hitting Kieron Pollard having an entertaining knock of 38 runs.

West Indies allrounder Dwyane Bravo who much is expected in India scored 31 runs. W Connection Wanderers pacer Stewart felt the brunt of the Ganga XI batsmen finishing with two for 43. Pacer Shannon Gabriel had a miserly spell of three overs for eight runs.

Summarised Scores:

GANGA XI 166/6 (20) - Daren Ganga 38, Dwayne Bravo 31, Kieron Pollard 37, Navin Stewart 2/43 vs JAGGERNAUTH XI 146/6 (20) - Navin Stewart 46 not out, Justin Guillen 28, Ravi Rampaul 3/14, Sunil Narine 2/10.

T&T Newsday

Ganga says T&T has talent to claim Champions League

MEMBERS of the Trinidad and Tobago cricket team received a warm send-off at the La Boucan Room of the Hilton Trinidad yesterday, before they wing out for India to compete in the ICC Champions league Twenty20 Championship.

The Telecommunications Service of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) has outfitted the players with phones to keep in contact with friends and family back home during the duration of the tournament.

TSTT’s Media Relation’s Manager Graeme Suite said his company views the championship as being equivalent to a cricket World Cup and therefore the players, management staff and the coaches were all given mobiles.

Trinidad and Tobago are grouped with English champions Somerset and the current holders of the IPL Trophy — the Deccan Chargers. The TT team which will be led by Daren Ganga will open their campaign against Somerset, October 12 and will take on the Deccan Chargers two days later (October 14) as they attempt to finish among the top two teams in order to advance to the next round.

Yesterday Ganga thanked TSTT for its assistance and later said he was optimistic of winning the championship, saying that the team will go out to do just that.

Ganga said that following a three-month preparation period the team was ready for the competition, despite the challenge of playing away from home. The text-book style batsman added further that he is extremely confident his players had the talent to pull off an historic victory.

Yesterday the players had their final trial match at the National Cricket Centre (NCC) in Balmain, Couva.

The team will leave on Sunday for the October 8-23 championship and national coach Kelvin Williams said that he is satisfied with the progress made by the team to date. “In the earlies I felt that we were lacking motivation in the team but the players have shown tremendous improvement so far,” said Williams.

Williams is hoping to make a bold statement on the international stage so that TT cricket will be exposed worldwide.

“Yes we are aiming to make a statement but we will also use the championship as a yardstick to measure where they are against some of the top teams in the world,” Williams said.

The coach also relished the opportunity to expose the young players on the international stage which he feels will auger well for TT cricket.

He singled out brothers Dwayne and Darren Bravo, hard-hitting Keiron Pollard, Lendl Simmons and fast bowler Ravi Rampaul who are expected to play lead roles in the team, if it is to do well.

Walter Alibey
T&T Newsday

Leo John cricket at quarter-final stage

ACTION in the $6,000 Leo John Islandwide Over-40 Cricket League has reached the quarter-final stage.

And Group “A” winners D&D McBean will take on Preysal Sports tomorrow at McBean, Couva, while the Group “B” winners Calcutta Masters meet LTT at Friendshoip Hall.

BrandSource Woodland, runners-up in Group “A” take on Perseverance CC at Burccarr, Freeport and Group B runners-up “D” Rebels face Fulham CC at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain.

Semi-finals are scheduled to take place on October 10 with the final fixed for October 18 at venues to be decided.

T&T Newsday

T&T will do well in Champions League says coach

TRINIDAD and Tobago cricketers will continue their preparation for the Champions League Twenty20 tournament with a practice match today at the National Cricket Centre, Balmain, Couva starting at 1pm.

The Daren Ganga XI will take on the Amit Jaggernauth XI as final adjustments are made before the national team leaves on Sunday for India. Coach of the national team, Kelvin Williams is confident that the squad will have a good tournament. “Our team has a good chance as any other in the tournament. We have players who have played at the international level and others who have not. However, the balance in the team is excellent and everyone fits their role. When you look at the bench we have players who can come in and make an impact. I think this gives us a good recipe for success,” said Williams yesterday.

Trinidad and Tobago are pooled in Group “A” with Indian Premier League champions, Deccan Chargers and English Twenty20 winners Somerset County. However, Williams is not concerned about the difficulty of the group and is focused on the team performing as a unit.

“I am looking for each player to deliver at the tournament. I don’t want them thinking about individual goals but more team goals. This bunch is a group of team players and they will move with the game plan and are ready to execute,” said Williams.

The former Trinidad and Tobago batsman noted that the players were extremely well-prepared and the squad is moving full steam ahead in its preparations and are eager for competition time.

“It is important for us to do well in India because we are also representing the West Indies at the highest level for Twenty20 cricket. Some guys have played at the ICC Twenty20 World Cup and others not on that level. But I expect us to do well, we have very talented players in the team and the national team likes to perform on the big stage so I am sure we can raise our standards,” said Williams.

The Trinidad and Tobago coach admitted that he was concerned about the preparation of the team but the performance in Guyana has ended any insecurities. Williams explained that the immediate emphasis is being put on adapting to conditions in India.

“Few of the guys have played in India. I have not been there before so we will be relying on these individuals to explain and help the others adjust and prepare to the conditions they will meet. Also we are going to focus on team strategy and how we play such as what is expected at certain stages of the match,” said Williams.

Trinidad and Tobago have excelled at Twenty20 cricket winning the Stanford 20/20 tournament and Stanford Champion of Champions match against 2008 English champions Middlesex County. Williams believes that the squad selected for the Champions League Twenty20 tournament is a much stronger team than the previous title winning teams.

“The team that competed in the Stanford Champion of Champions match has six debutantes and they brought a level of energy to the team but this squad is much more experienced” said Williams.

GANGA XI - Daren Ganga (Captain), William Perkins, Sherwin Ganga, Samuel Badree, Dave Mohammed, Dwayne Bravo, Lendl Simmons, Kieron Pollard, Darren Bravo, Ravi Rampaul, Denesh Ramdin, Sunil Narine.

JAGGERNAUTH XI — Amit Jaggernauth (Captain), Daron Cruickshank, Kevon Cooper, Imran Khan, Jason Mohammed, Gibran Mohammed, Shannon Gabriel, Richard Kelly, Justin Guillen, Adrian Barath, Yannick Ottley, Rayad Emrit, Navin Stewart.

T&T Newsday

T&T cricketers secure sponsor on their own

TRINIDAD and Tobago cricketers have taken a bold proactive initiative in securing a major sponsor for the team which is set to compete at the Champions League Twenty20 tournament in India.

The veteran players on the national team were able to land a lucrative deal with Venky’s (India) Limited which is part of the VH Group.

Venky’s will be the main sponsor of the team and their image is expected to be placed on the national team’s jersey. The sponsorship will only be for the Champions League Twenty20 tournament and is reported to be in the region of US$100,000.

It is reported that Venky’s, TTCB and the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) are finalising the details of the contract which will greatly enhance the chances of the team playing successfully in the lucrative competition.

Trinidad and Tobago are scheduled to depart on Sunday for India and there was growing uncertainty about the inability of the TTCB to secure a major sponsor ahead of the lucrative Twenty20 tournament.

However, the influence and marketing ability of players such as captain Daren Ganga, Denesh Ramdin, Dwayne Bravo, Lendl Simmons and Ravi Rampaul enabled the team to attract the India sponsor.

Venky’s (India) Limited was established in 1976 mainly to produce day-old layer and broiler chicks for poultry markets of North India. The company has diversified over the years and their portfolio also includes animal health products, pellet feeds, processed and further processed chicken products, solvent oil extraction and Specific Pathogen-Free Eggs.

Venky’s (India) Limited has also expanded away from poultry and is also involved with manufacturing facilities for nutritional health products for humans, pet food and health care products. Forbes Business magazine ranked Venky’s (India) Limited at 67th among the 100 best global small companies between 1999-2000.

Trinidad and Tobago are in Group “A” along with Indian Premier League Champions Deccan Chargers and English Twenty20 champions Somerset County.

The national team will bowl off their campaign against Somerset County on October 12 in Bangalore followed by Deccan Chargers on October 14 in Hyderabad. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knock-out stages of the tournament.

Should Trinidad and Tobago emerge outstanding in the Champions League Twenty20 Championship, Venky’s will become internationally known.

Kern Ramlochan
T&T Newsday