SPORTS
Jonathan Ramnansingh
Red ball cricket returns to the domestic circuit for the 2023 season.
This was announced at the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board’s (TTCB) presentation of its upcoming calendar of events at the National Cricket Centre, Couva, on Tuesday.
The tournament makes a welcome return after being cut short in 2020 due to the pandemic, not played in 2021 for the same reason, and halted this year due to time constraints with clubs following the reopening of domestic sport in February.
But for the new season, which officially concludes with the Namalco Construction Services Limited U-23 Cup next Wednesday, the domestic premiership clubs resume their quest for red ball glory from February 3.
Each division – Premiership I and Premiership II North and South – will play seven rounds of matches with the first, fourth and seventh rounds contested over three days. The other rounds will be two-day races.
Meanwhile, the U23 Cup received a huge injection of $120,000 from title sponsors Namalco. The tournament lasts four days and includes four teams – Hummingbirds, Scarlet Ibis, Flamingoes and Masqueraders.
It also serves as a trial for players hoping to break into the senior TT team ahead of the four-day regional tournament.
During his speech, TTCB president Azim Bassarath said that the U23 tournament is crucial for the transition of these players to the top league.
“We also see our U23 competition as a model to capture a lost source of cricketing talent who can still contribute to the national game. This is also an idea that is being looked at seriously by Cricket West Indies following its success by the TTCB,” said Bassarath.
Red Force coach David Furlonge also welcomed the U23 competition and believes it serves as a good platform for transitioning players to showcase their skills in search of a call-up to the senior team.
Furlonge said: “The national team selectors will select the U23 squads and they will be watching the games to see what talent we can bring to the senior team.
“We’re going to take a particular look at the quick players to see what quick players we can bring into the system and what work needs to be done with them to make them better players and get into the team.”
Furlonge has been emphasizing the team’s pace attack since TT and West Indies fast bowler Jayden Seales has been ruled out for four months with a knee injury sustained during the chestnut tour of Australia two weeks ago.
With Seales out and key TT players Shannon Gabriel and Anderson Phillip also expected to be selected in the West Indies squad for their tour of South Africa in March, Furlonge is working with some younger players to strengthen the pace options his team before the Regional Four. Day, which begins on February 1.
