Proper planning will be key to success – Miller

Jamaica Scorpions assistant coach Nikita Miller says his team will need to have the right plan and execute those plans against a tough Trinidad and Tobago Red Force side in today’s day/night final of the Super50 Cup competition at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua and Barbuda starting at 1 p.m. Jamaica time.

Both teams had nail-biting victories heading into the grand finale, with the Red Force just getting over the line by 10 runs against the Barbados Pride, while the Scorpions, on the back of a brilliant unbeaten century from captain Rovman Powell, beat the Guyana Harpy Eagles by three wickets.

The contest is expected to be another batting duel, with both sides scoring in excess of 300 runs in their semi-finals. It was the Red Force who eliminated the Scorpions at the semifinal stage of last year’s competition; however, the Jamaican franchise won on both occasions when they met in the final in 2007 and 2011.

For Miller, those encounters are done and dusted, and today’s clash will come down to who executes the best in all three disciplines of the game.

“I believe the two teams are playing good cricket and will go into the final with confidence. We will approach this game with a fresh mind because the semifinals are gone and we are no longer celebrating that win. We are only thinking about the final,” said Miller.

That semifinal between the Scorpions and Harpy Eagles had brilliance written all over it courtesy of skipper Powell who, according to Miller, played his best innings in a Jamaica shirt.

The right-hander hit 105 not out from 92 deliveries, and Miller believes another one of those gems could do the trick for the team.

“We played a complete game of cricket by bowling well and Rovman played an absolutely brilliant knock to lead the batting. The way how he played aggressively when needed and anchored the innings around the other guys was great.”

The Scorpions will be banking on opener Brandon King to come good once again with the bat, following his 64 runs against Guyana. King is currently second on the runs-scoring charts with 325 runs in seven innings, only trailing Red Force captain Nicholas Pooran who has scored 334 runs in six innings.

The Red Force possess an experienced batting and bowling line-up with the likes of Darren Bravo, Jason Mohammed and Kjorn Ottley leading their charge.

Their bowling unit will be spearheaded by speedster Shannon Gabriel who has a tournament-leading 14 wickets. The Jamaican trio of Odean Smith, Dennis Bulli and Nicholson Gordon right behind. Smith and Bulli have taken 13 wickets each while Gordon has bagged 12.