PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – A strong batting lineup and a spin-bowling attack will be the main weapons for defending champions Trinidad and Tobago in the regional Under-17 Championships starting next week, the coach has said.

Tarandath Sammy has expressed satisfaction with the team’s preparations and says he is confident they can retain their regional title.
The team is being led by spinner Bryan Boodram
“We are about 90 percent there” Sammy told the Express after the team’s rained-out practice match at the National Cricket Centre in Balmain, Couva, Sunday.
T&T triumphed last year on the strength of their lower order batting and Sammy says this year, the team’s batting will be their strength again.
“We have a good all-round team but we also have a very strong middle and lower batting order,” said Sammy.
“Dejourn Charles is an exciting middle order batsman from Tobago and he also bowls off-spin. We also have another exciting prospect in Kirstan Kallicharan.
In the bowling we have two pacers in Jarlarnie Seales and Dexter Sween and we also have Sachin Seecharan who bowls a decent medium pace and is also a very handy batsman, so he will have a part to play in the overall scheme of things”.
T&T leave for Tobago on Friday and will play their first match against Barbados next Tuesday.
“We will be depending on our spin department led by Boodram (Emilo) Gopaul, Charles and Kallicharan,” said Sammy.
“My major headache, and this is really a good headache to have, really is to select a first 11 for the game. It will be a close call.”