PORT OF Spain, Trinidad – National coach Kelvin Williams has acknowledged that the batting is a serious cause for concern after a dismal performance by the batters in a three-day trial over the weekend at the National Cricket Centre in Couva.

On day one of the match, on Friday, 19 wickets fell for just 140 runs as the Jason Mohammed XI were bundled out for 63 in their first innings while the Justin Guillen XI were struggling on 77 for nine at the close of play..
Evin Lewis (124) and Jason Mohammed (72) were the only batsmen to make scores of note in the match while no-one on the Justin Guillen XI got past 30 in either innings.
“There are concerns in the batting. A couple of batters applied themselves but guys got starts and didn’t continue – it is worrying for the coaches and the selectors. They have another chance coming up (starting Friday) and I’m looking for the batsmen to perform better. Friday was a disaster, Saturday was better and Sunday was a disaster again as far as batting is concerned,” Kelvin explained.
The former TT player noted that the surface proved difficult for the batsmen but did not use that as an excuse for the pitiful performance of his batsmen.
“Not because a pitch is challenging you have to give in to it. You have to adapt,” he added.
Meanwhile, Kelvin commended 22-year-old Evin Lewis for his century knock which saw the Mohammed XI post a formidable 335 second innings total that ultimately setup a 213-run victory.
“He batted well on Saturday and showed the kind of talent he has. I hope he can move on and (perform) at the regional level. He always does well with Powergen, he did well in India (for TT in the Champions League) and he will want to make sure he can maintain that form if/when he is selected for TT,” he continued.
The coach also showered praise on the T&T spinners including Kavesh Kantasingh (5/19), Yannic Cariah (5/19 and 2/37), and Imran Khan (4/38) for their efforts in the trial match.
“The bowlers did well in bowler-friendly conditions. The spinners have always gotten the job done for us and always do well. We have always been strong in the spin department,” he remarked.
Kelvin also offered words of support for Guyanese-born pacer Marlon Richards who had figures of 2/18 and 3/19 in the match.
“The selectors picked him up last year (and gave him his debut) and he has never looked back. He does a lot of work with us and it’s nice to see him getting his reward,” he concluded.