T&T, Jamaica set for super clash

PROVIDENCE, Guyana (CMC):Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica, arguably the two best sides in the regional game, meet in the final of the Regional Super50 tournament today, at the Guyana National Stadium, as many people predicted and wanted.

T&T, the reigning Caribbean Twenty20 champions, will be looking to become the undisputed limited-overs kings of the region, and Jamaica will be looking to complete the regional double, having wrapped up the first-class championship for a fourth straight season earlier this year.

It's hard to pick a favourite - both sides are packed with so much talent and overcame several challenges along the way, least of all in the semi-finals to reach the bright lights of the final, but T&T will carry a psychological boost into the contest, having beaten the Jamaicans when they crossed paths in the final group match.

T&T prevailed over hosts Guyana by four wickets in the weather-delayed, first semi-final on Wednesday at the same venue, and their captain Daren Ganga has been around long enough to know that this will be no cakewalk.

"Jamaica are a very good team," he told the CMC Sports Wire. "But what has been working for us throughout this tournament has been our planning and our smartness towards the game.

"I think we are very disciplined and honest about conditions and situations, and all credit must go to our guys for the manner in which they have been playing."

T&T are likely to field the same 11 that played the semi-final against the Guyanese unless there is some major rethink or injury setback.

It's hard to even suggest that Jamaica are the underdogs. They may be slightly, after losing to T&T in the group matches and surviving a scare from the livewire West Indies High Performance Centre side chasing a modest target on Thursday in the second semi-final.

Gayle rattled

Their famously unruffled captain, Chris Gayle, admitted to being rattled, but he is convinced that the last two games his side has played were all a blip on the radar.

"We will take the win because that the objective of the game," he said. "It doesn't matter how you win, once you win and I am thankful for that result.

"We panicked a bit in the middle, but I am happy with the victory, and hopefully, things will be a lot smoother for us in the final."

Gayle said his side is eager to win to settle a few old scores with T&T and prove to critics that they can be a competitive force in the limited-overs format, having dominated the longer version of the game over the last few years.

"Our first objective coming to Guyana was to reach the final, and we have achieved it," he said. "Our next objective is to win the title. We do not just want to turn up and play. We want to win.