Lewis back in Red Force 4-day team, Solozano and Jaipaul miss out

2026-03-27 - 01:03

Left-handed attacking batsman, opener Evin Lewis is back in the Trinidad and Tobago First Class team for the first time since 2017. The Bess Motors Marchin Patriots batsman was named in the 13-man squad yesterday that will travel to Antigua for their three matches against the Leeward Islands Volcanoes. Lewis, 34, has been impressive during the ongoing Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board Premier Division Championships with a high score of 232 not out, the second of three consecutive hundreds spell for the dangerous opener. For the T&TCB 2026 season so far, Lewis has scored an unbeaten 232 against Merryboys, 113 against Powergen Penal and 106 against Prisons. However, there’s no place for fellow left-handed opener from Powergen Penal Club Jeremy Solozano, who has scored 593 runs from 12 matches at an average of 74.1. He recorded a high-score of an unbeaten 206. Both openers have scored double hundreds in the ongoing Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board Premier Division Championships and have provided the national selectors, led by Rajendra Mangalie, a good headache in choosing the best combination for the Red Force. Team regulars Tion Webster and Kamil Pooran also gave way as the competition for places has been stiff. Among the bowlers, the leading wicket-taker Ricky Jaipaul also missed out. Head Coach Rayad Emrit claimed it is a good headache to have to be able to leave well-deserved players, including Powergen all-rounder Navin Bidaisee, who made his Caribbean Premier League and West Indies debut last year. Solozano, yes, he scored a double century. We have Evin Lewis who has over 500 runs. We have Cephas Cooper, who has been scoring runs consistently in every single tournament that he played in,” Emrit declared. The former West Indies all-rounder added, ‘There’s also Ricky Jaipaul, who has the most wickets so far and still didn’t make the final 13. So it is very difficult. Navin Bidaisee, one of the younger players coming through the system who has not been in the final 13. So it was a bit of a headache. I think it’s a good headache to have when you have players on the bench who are just as good as the 13 selected. We had discussions with the guys who have been left out.” The Red Force will play matches at Coolidge, South Sound and the Antigua Recreation Ground, and Emrit believes the balance in the team can produce on the different surfaces. “But I think the squad were, you know, they basically picked themselves with the guys performing in the club cricket. And the only probable inclusion, if it was a different venue, might have been another spinner. Probably a spinning all around or out-and-out spinner,” Emrit noted. He added, “But I think we have covered all of our tracks. The batting, as the guys have picked themselves, and the bowling as well. So we just look forward to the season. I think, you know, the last game in ARG is not where we’ve played a lot of cricket. And it’s something new to most of the guys. So that might be the most challenging out of the three venues.” The Red Force players will play the penultimate round of the TTCB Premier League before one more practice match at the Queen’s Park Oval before leaving for Antigua. Trinidad and Tobago Red Force Joshua Da Silva (captain), Cephas Cooper, Evin Lewis, Amir Jangoo, Jason Mohammed, Yannic Cariah, Terrence Hinds, Khary Pierre, Jayden Seales, Anderson Phillip, Bryan Charles, Jyd Goolie and Joshua James.