Trinidad and Tobago Red Force batsman Evin Lewis has been ruled out of the rest of the CG United Super50 Cup due to an injury he picked up during the T20 World Cup in Australia last month.
The hard-hitting Lewis was one of four T&T players to return from the World Cup and join the franchise for their Super50 campaign. The other three were captain Nicholas Pooran, left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein and all-rounder Yannic Cariah.
Lewis missed T&T’s win against Combined Campuses and Colleges on Monday and also their three-match loss against the Guyana Harpy Eagles on Wednesday night.
Asked if the left-arm opener would be ready for tomorrow’s game against Zone A leaders Windward Islands Volcanoes, Red Force coach David Furlonge said: “He still has a bit of an injury and we won’t include him for the rest of the tournament . “
Asked for further clarification on Lewis’ injury, Furlonge, who is also chairman of selectors, said they were taking a precautionary approach so as not to aggravate Lewis’ hamstring.
“We’ve got a squad of 18 and he’s basically out, so we don’t have to call up a substitute now. It’s a precaution because we don’t want to risk it and it comes in and then it gets worse. When the Test players leave after this round, then we will have to pick a final 14.
The selectors will meet tomorrow (today) and make a decision,” explained the coach of the Red Forces.
Anderson Phillip, Joshua Da Silva and Jayden Seales will join the West Indies Test squad in Australia after the third round of Super50 matches tomorrow.
Asked about Shannon Gabriel not finishing his ten-over spell on Wednesday, Furlonge said it was also a precaution after the bowler felt a tightness in his navel.
“Shannon is fine…We didn’t want to take any chances because we still have a long way to go in the tournament,” Furlonge said.
Gabriel took four wickets for 42 runs from nine overs on Wednesday. He bowled three maidens and was the pick of the balls for the hosts, along with Sunil Narine, who grabbed three for 17 from ten overs. Narine also threw two games for the girls.
Guyana posted 269 for nine from their 50 overs and the Red Force were restricted to 266 for six, falling short by three runs in a thrilling last-ball finish at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba.
Despite the loss, T&T are still second in Zone A with a superior net rate thanks to their easy seven-wicket win against Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) on Monday evening.
The Volcanoes have a perfect record after two games, having beaten Guyana on Monday and then CCC on Wednesday.
