It's a 20/20 toss-up
Published on: 2/24/08.
by HAYDN GILL in Antigua
HOW MUCH of a factor is the toss going to determine the winners of tonight's Stanford 20/20 final?
Will the spin of an EC$1 coin be critical in who pockets US$1 million?
It is a relevant question after an examination of trends in the matches leading to the grand final at the Stanford Cricket Ground.
The fact of the matter is that in the 17 matches ahead of last night's second semi-final, 12 of the teams batting first have gone on to win the contest.
Additionally, ten of the teams winning the toss have opted to bat first.
Trinidad and Tobago, appearing in the final for the second successive tournament, won their semi-final against Barbados by five runs after choosing to take first strike.
Non-committal
When asked if that would be the preferred option in the final, taking into consideration what has happened in the tournament, Trinidad and Tobago captain Daren Ganga was non-committal.
"We have to assess what strip they are going to use. If you look at all the strips, you will find that the other two strips are very dry. That will determine what we do," Ganga said.
"The opposition that we're playing against is going to determine a lot of things for us."
Trinidad and Tobago's opponents in the final were determined last night in the second semi-final between defending champions Guyana, who have always preferred to bat second, and tournament favourites Jamaica.
The square at the Stanford Cricket Ground has been busy since the tournament started on January 26 but a break in between the quarter-finals and the semi-finals allowed ground officials to work on the surfaces.
"Being the first team to play after five or six days, we expected a wicket with a little more bounce and pace. It wasn't like that," Ganga said.
"Probably, it is going to get lower and lower because it's three days of consistent cricket."
Trinidad and Tobago are guaranteed US$500 000 for qualifying for the final, but after coming up second best to Guyana in the inaugural tournament in 2006, they want to go all the way this time.
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