T&T favourites against star-shy Ruhuna

Match facts

Ruhuna v Trinidad & Tobago, September 19
Start time 16.00 (10.30 GMT)

Each team plays only two matches in the qualifying round, and needs to win both to be guaranteed of a place in the main draw. Ruhuna and Trinidad & Tobago are pooled with Leicestershire and run-rate could come into play if all teams are level on a win each. A big loss for either side will effectively knock them out.

T&T will start favourites, given their squad is similar to the one that reached the final of the first Champions League Twenty20 in 2009. Adrian Barath, Lendl Simmons, Ravi Rampaul and Darren Bravo have all chosen to play the Champions League rather than the Twenty20 internationals in England. T&T relied heavily on their top three of Barath, Simmons and Bravo for runs during their victorious campaign in the Caribbean T20 in January. It was their bowling, however, that was the crux of their unbeaten run; the highest score they allowed any team was 136.

Ruhuna's win in the Sri Lanka Cricket Inter-Provincial Twenty20 Tournament was also built on strong bowling performances - they twice bowled out the opposition - but they will be missing their best bowler, Suraj Randiv, who has chosen to play for Chennai Super Kings in the Champions League.

Sanath Jayasuriya is the biggest name in the Ruhuna squad but has off late been found more often in the commentary box than on the field. Apart from him and Dinesh Chandimal, the rest of the squad consists of players unknown on the international stage. We may get a glimpse of Tillakaratne Dilshan's brother, allrounder TN Sampath.

Ruhuna (probable): 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Mahela Udawatte (capt) , 3 TN Sampath, 4 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 5 Janaka Gunaratne, 6 Milinda Siriwardana, 7 Chinthaka Perera, 8 Omesh Wijesiriwardene, 9 Arosh Janoda, 10 Yashodha Lanka, 11 Alankara Asanka Silva

T&T had a settled line-up through their Caribbean T20 campaign and should feature the same side against Ruhuna.

T&T (probable): 1 Adrian Barath, 2 Lendl Simmons, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Jason Mohammed, 5 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 6 Daren Ganga (capt), 7 Sherwin Ganga, 8 Kevon Cooper, 9 Samuel Badree, 10 Ravi Rampaul, 11 Sunil Narine

In recent times Caribbean players have earned as much recognition for their exploits in foreign Twenty20 competitions as for the West Indies team. For Darren Bravo, this is an opportunity not only to impress the West Indies selectors, but also the owners of IPL franchises.

Dinesh Chandimal has had a stop-start beginning to his international career: after a century during the ODI series in England, he was dropped for the final two home ODIs against Australia. The Twenty20 format may not be the best place to show he has overcome some technical deficiencies but he will be looking to impress the Sri Lankan selectors.

Ruhuna's batsmen v T&T spinners: Offspinning allrounder Sherwin Ganga, offspinner Sunil Narine and legspinner Samuel Badree had plenty of success in the Caribbean T20 but will now be bowling against batsmen well-versed in playing spin.

During the Caribbean T20, four of T&T's bowlers had economy-rates of less than six an over, with Badree going at just 3.90 an over in his 20 overs.

"Who knows, in the future cricket could be an Olympic sport and we could even play as a nation."
Daren Ganga has big aspirations for his T&T side.

"We are missing out on Chanaka Welegedara, Suraj Randiv and Shaminda Eranga, who are all doing national duty against Australia. The bowling department is a bit weak."
Ruhuna coach Sumithra Warnakulasuriya on his side's shortcomings.