Ottley confident recharged Red Force can beat Scorpions

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

Captain Yannick Ottley says despite Trinidad and Tobago Red Force's lacklustre start to the new Regional Four-Day season, they are still confident of beating Jamaica Scorpions in the fourth round of the tournament, which bowls off next weekend.

Red Force lie one from bottom in the six-team championship on 27 points after a win, a defeat and a draw in their opening three matches.

Ottley said the recent short break following the end of the third round had given his side a chance to regroup, and there was a great vibe in the camp ahead of the trip to Kingston.

"We have had a couple rest days and a few practice sessions, but the guys have been doing some one-on-one work with the coaches and identifying a few areas we need to improve on, so it is good to see guys working on their skills and trying to be better at what we do," Ottley told the Trinidad Express.

"We are pretty good at the moment. The team is really gelling together. There is a lot of unity in the team. We are like a family and we just need to keep supporting each other."

Red Force made a strong start with a convincing nine-wicket victory over Windward Islands Volcanoes at Queen's Park Oval, but then showed little enterprise as they slumped to a heavy 292-run defeat to arch-rivals Barbados Pride at the same venue in the following round.

Rain then ravaged their third-round home encounter against Leeward Islands Hurricanes, allowing limited play in the game.

Kyle Hope (86) and debutant Isaiah Rajah (69) both struck half-centuries in an opening stand of 162, but Red Force slumped to 287 for eight in their first innings before rain wrecked the game.

POSITIVE SHIFT

Ottley said that outing had signalled a positive shift from the batting woes they endured against Pride.

"With that game against the Leewards, we started well with the bat, and it could have been two wins and one loss at home, and I think that would have been a pretty good start for us, but the batting has really come along well [since the Pride game] and we just have to continue to play together as a team and make sure we keep the attitude right," he pointed out.

Scorpions are one place above Red Force on 28.6 points with two-time reigning champions Guyana Jaguars leading the standings on 33.6 points.