Da Silva Pleased with Legions

Source: Trinidad & Tobago Daily Express
Trinidad and Tobago Legions skipper Joshua Da Silva is pleased that his top-order finally came to the party as they closed off their West Indies Breakout T20 group stage campaign on a high.

T&T defeated the Windward Islands Infernos by six wickets on Sunday at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba to finish at the top of the six-team standings and confirm their place in the next round.

The other team with a serious shot at finishing on top are the Leeward Islands Thunder, but their 52-run loss against the Guyana Rainforest Rangers in Sunday’s second game would have dented their chances of overtaking the current table-toppers.

With 31 points, T&T enjoy a 12-point lead over second-place Thunder, making them favourites to go straight to the final by topping the standings.

Whether it is the final or the eliminator, Da Silva is pleased with his team’s performance on Sunday and is looking forward to building on that success in the next stage of the competition.

Speaking after the match, Da Silva expressed satisfaction with the performance, particularly highlighting the resurgence of the batting unit.

While T&T lost an early wicket in the powerplay, Crystian Thurton (50) and Navin Bidaisee (56 not out) stepped up with half-centuries to ensure the hosts got to their target of 163 with 11 balls to spare.

“It was good to get another victory under our belt,” said Da Silva. “We are happy the batting came to the show today, and we got a good powerplay. We missed out on the point with Jangoo getting dismissed there, but I am really happy with the result.”

Bonus points are on offer for teams achieving targets at different stages of the match. One point is up for grabs in the powerplay if the team can score at eight runs or better without losing more than one wicket.

T& T reached 54 for two after six overs, with Amir Jangoo falling for 20 in the sixth over.

While Da Silva acknowledged the importance of the bonus points, he didn’t want to restrict the batters from capitalising if they could.

“It is a bit tricky because you want to capitalise in that sixth over, so you don’t want to be thinking about the bonus point.

“Again, it is a little bit of a hit or miss and give and take at the same time, but I would like players to play freely, try their best and be smart about it,” the T& T captain explained.

In terms of the bowling, Da Silva said there were some errors in the early overs but praised his players for delivering in the middle and at the death.

“We gave away too many bad balls in the powerplay, but in those first six overs, it is hit or miss. The real game starts after the powerplay and into the death overs. Navin Bidaisee and Jyd Goolie bowled well, so it was good to see those guys coming to the party and giving us a good score to chase.”

The skipper was particularly impressed with Thurton, who made a big impact on his return to the side after a quiet debut earlier in the tournament.

“Thurton was exceptional. We know what he is capable of. In the one game he played before this, he didn’t do as well as he would like, but we know the quality he brings to the table. So, it is really good to see him do that on this platform. The bowling has been really good and we have fielded well for the most part,” said Da Silva.

“We have a few days off until the next game, so we just have to wait and see. I’m really happy with what the boys have done, and hopefully, this shows what the batting is capable of. We can just get on with it and do even better in the next one,” he added.

The tournament continues today at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba with the Barbados Pelicans up against the Rainforest Rangers from 2 pm and the Jamaica Titans tackling the Infernos from 7 pm. The group stage concludes tomorrow (Wednesday) with the Thunder facing the Infernos from 7 pm.