Though pleased with his team’s flawless start, Trinidad and Tobago Legions head coach Rayad Emrit is not letting the scoreboard hide what he sees as a glaring issue, which is a misfiring top order.
Emrit’s side leads the inaugural West Indies T20 Breakout League with three consecutive wins, but the former West Indies all-rounder has warned that their unbeaten run could be at risk if the top order does not start delivering soon, especially ahead of their clash with second-placed Leeward Islands Thunder at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy on Friday. The day’s curtain-raiser will feature Barbados Pelicans against Jamaica Titans.
"Winning three out of three matches is exactly the start we were looking for. But one of our main focuses is the batting power play, where we haven’t got the starts we wanted in any of the three games,” Emrit told Newsday.
Despite convincing wins over Barbados Pelicans (by 64 runs), Guyana Rainforest Rangers (23 runs), and Jamaica Titans (six wickets), the Legions' success has been driven largely by the middle and lower order. Their highest opening partnership in the tournament so far is just 19 runs, and they have lost eight wickets during the power play across those games, a red flag Emrit says needs urgent attention.
"Our lower-order has been doing the majority of the work, but we have the ability at the top to do the work. It’s just for them to start firing. I think they have a lot more time than they realise in the power play," he said.
"We have had discussions, and now it's just for guys to go out and execute. There's nothing wrong with our batting. It's just for the guys to go out and execute at the top of the innings...we have a lot of guys who can do the job," Emrit added.
While performance is top of mind, Emrit also remains committed to the developmental mission of the tournament, noting that 13 of the 14 squad members have already featured. Only young seamer Abdul-Raheem Toppin is yet to make an appearance, something Emrit says will change soon.
"This tournament is also about giving guys the opportunity. We will at some point in time see all 14 guys participate in the tournament. That is of utmost importance to us. Apart from winning, we want to give these guys an opportunity to play as well," the coach declared.
With the business end of the tournament looming, Emrit believes his squad is yet to play its best cricket, but he is hoping it all comes together at the right time.
“If we continue doing the right things, we will get better. We haven’t played our best game yet. Hopefully, that happens in the games at the back end," he said.
The Legions lead the six-team table with 24 points, while Leewards Thunder trail on 14 points with two wins. The top team at the end of the round-robin phase will advance directly to the May 10 final, while the second and third-placed teams will battle in a playoff for the other spot.