CCC aim to cool Samuels, Jamaica

Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) off-spinner Ryan Austin, who currently leads all bowlers in the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional Four-day Tournament, says he is looking forward to bowling to Jamaica's Marlon Samuels, the tournament's leading run-scorer, when both teams meet this weekend at Chedwin Park, St Catherine.

Austin, along with other members of the CCC team, arrived in the country yesterday ahead of the tie, which begins on Friday.

"Samuels should be a challenge bowling to as so far he has established himself as the most in-form player in the tournament," explained Austin, whose 18 wickets in the tournament thus far has come at a modest average of 23.38.

"However, after a fairly slow start to the season, I myself have been bowling well, and having performed well against the England Lions in our last game, I am looking forward to continuing where I left off."

Austin, 29, played two Test matches for the West Indies, both against touring Bangladesh when the senior players boycotted the series due to a salary dispute.

Playing good cricket

In the current WICB tournament, he claimed seven for 134 in the first innings of the England Lions match, which eventually ended in draw.

In the meantime, Omar Phillips, captain of the CCC team, said his team has been playing some good cricket and once they continue to do so anything is possible.

"It's always going to be difficult to bowl to a player who is at the top of his game, but at the same time all it takes is just one ball to get that player out. We just need to bowl with discipline and work him out," Phillips said of Samuels.

He continued: "We are not too concerned about Jamaica, at the moment, as we have been playing some good cricket and once we continue to do that we should be very competitive."

Jamaica with two wins and two draws, lead the seven-team championship with 36 points. Trinidad and Tobago, 33, and England Lions, 30, are next, with the CCC rounding off the top four with 27 points.

The CCC team includes young Jamaican batsmen Nkrumah Bonner and Shacoya Thomas.

CCC SQUAD: Omar Phillips (captain), Kyle Corbin, Raymon Reifer, Romel Currency, Shacoya Thomas, Nkrumah Bonner, Ryan Austin, Kavesh Kantasingh, Carlos Brathwaite, Kevin McClean, Gilford Moore, Shervon Penco.