MATCH: Ruhuna Rhinos v Trinidad and Tobago
DATE: Monday, September 19, 2011
TIME: 1600 hours IST (1030 hours GMT)
VENUE: Uppal in Hyderabad
This is the opening game of the Champions League T20 2011 qualifiers, from Pool A. The third team in their pool is Leicestershire, with the top team in each of the group followed by the best, second-placed side going through to the main draw of the competition.
Past Record:
Ruhuna (11/10 at
SkyBet) walk into the tournament as the Sri Lankan Inter-Provincial T20 champions after they beat the three-time reigning champions Wayamba in a closely contested final. Wayamba had qualified for both the previous editions of the CLT20 and were favourites to get there this year too, before their apple-cart was upset by the one-over eliminator that followed the tied final.
Ruhuna have never qualified for the CLT20 before, but on the two occasions that a Sri Lankan side has made it to the tournament, they have been ousted in the first round itself. The Rhinos will look to go a step further.
Trinidad and Tobago (4/5 at
BetFred) are arguably the best team from the Caribbean and it was surprising to not see them go through to the CLT20 last year. This year, they enter the competition with a hot streak of wins in the T20 tournament back home, qualifying for the Champions League T20 by becoming the only team to get through to the final of the Caribbean T20. They beat Hampshire to win the competition in the final.
Trinidad and Tobago had entertained their way to the final of the opening edition of the CLT20 before losing to New South Wales Blues. They had failed to qualify for the second season.
Team News:
Ruhuna will hope for all their players to be ready for the game. It is not yet certain whether Sanath Jayasuriya will make it in time to play this game, but if he does, it will be interesting to see how he goes about his business at the top of the innings. He is the oldest player of the tournament.
Mahela Udawatte will lead the side, which is shorn of some of their biggest stars because of the international commitments. There will be no Suraj Randiv or Chanaka Welegadara for this game, both playing in the Tests against Australia.
Trinidad and Tobago will be led by Darren Ganga, one who had inspired them in catapulting into the final of the first edition of the CLT20. He has a fine gamut of experienced and young players at his disposal like Darren Bravo, Adrian Barath, Lendl Simmons and Ravi Rampaul.
Who is hot?
Janaka Gunaratne had smashed his way to a CLT20 spot for Ruhuna in the finals of the T20 tournament against Wayamba, scoring a 42-ball 83. Trinidad and Tobago will depend on one belonging to the rare breed of left-arm chinaman bowlers, Dave Mohammad to make it difficult for the opposition.
Prediction:
Trinidad and Tobago have too much of a firepower to be intimidated by Ruhuna. If the track assists the slower bowlers, then the sub-continent team could have a chance.
