CG United Regional Super50 tournament: Red Force looking to extend lead, Scorpions chasing first win
Kjorn Ottley
While the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force would be looking to extend their lead on the CG United Regional Super50 points table, the Jamaica Scorpions would be aiming to acquire their first win of the season when these two teams clash today at the Queen’s Park Oval.
With 37 points in 5 games, Red Force sit comfortably at the top of the table heading into the business end of the competition, and are currently the only undefeated team of the competition.
Defending champions Scorpions are winless in five matches, having accumulated only five points to date. Their dilemma rests squarely at the feet of their batsmen. In four of their five innings, Scorpions have been bowled out, with their highest total of 263 being the only instance when they put up a fight as it were, and they lost that match by nine wickets. In the other innings, they managed 211, 198, 158 and 123.
Chadwick Walton is their only batsman with over 150 runs coming from two half-centuries. But despite scoring 94 and 50, Walton has scored 17, 16 and duck in his other three innings.
Chadwick Walton
Similarly, Kirk McKenzie struck his career-best score of 84, but in his other four innings, accumulated 25 runs. Bonner, like his countrymen, is the only other batsman with over 100 runs and a half-century under his belt.
Scorpions are desperate for their skipper Rovman Powell to come to the party. He has accumulated only 81 runs in five innings, including a best of 53.
Much like Powell, Jermaine Blackwood, Fabien Allen and Odean Smith would need to step up if Scorpions are to hand Red Force their first loss.
Shalome Parnell continues to enjoy success with the ball, and leads the Scorpions’ bowling with five wickets. Smith has four wickets, but support has not been enough.
Scorpions’ bowling tactics would need to be up to par to counter the Red Force. Red Force’s top order have done the heavy lifting, scoring more than 250 on three occasions, and only once scoring under 200; but that was in a chase which they won. Their batting lineup will be boosted by the inclusion of shotgun Nicholas Pooran, who is replacing Evin Lewis in the squad.
Yannic Cariah
Kjorn Ottley leads the batting charts for Red Force with 223 runs, while Jason Mohammed has also chalked up 200 runs. This duo has been supported by Darren Bravo with 184 runs. However, Joshua Da Silva is the only other batsman to bat in all five matches, and his scoring 90 runs with a best of 48 underscores the role of their top order.
Similarly, Yannic Cariah has done the job in the bowling department with 14 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls. He is supported by Sunil Narine with nine wickets. Together, this pair is expected to cause trouble for the Scorpions batting.
