Fabien Allen

Meanwhile, left-handed batsmen Evin Lewis and Shimron Hetmyer have been omitted from the squad which played the recent Colonial Medical Insurance ODI series against Ireland after failing to attain the new minimum standard fitness requirements in recent assessments.

The squad will depart the Caribbean on Saturday and will have a pre-series camp in Colombo before they face the hosts in three ODIs.

“Darren Bravo and Rovman Powell owe their recall to their outstanding performance in the Colonial Medical Super50 tournament.  Bravo brings good form, a renewed appetite for runs and lots of experience, which will benefit the team tremendously. Powell who is back from injury, will add batting firepower to the line-up, increase the team’s bowling options and strengthen the fielding unit,” said Lead Selector Roger Harper while explaining the reasons for the recall of the previously omitted players.

“Evin Lewis and Shimron Hetmyer missed out due to the fact that they came up short in the fitness test.  They will be missed.

“Lewis was the team’s best batsman in the recent Colonial Medical Insurance ODI Series against Ireland where he batted with great composure and proved the bedrock for the team’s Series win. Hetmyer appeared to be getting his act together and was an integral part of the team’s batting group.”

The matches will be played at Sinhalese Sports Club; the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium in Hambantota and the Pallakele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.

Two T20 internationals will follow the ODIs and the squad for that series will be named at a later date.

FULL SQUAD: Kieron Pollard (captain), Shai Hope (vice-captain), Fabian Allen, Sunil Ambris, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, and Hayden Walsh.

 The match schedule is outlined below:

 February 17 – warm-up at P Sara Oval;

February 20 – warm-up vs SLC President’s XI – CMCG, Katunayake;

February 22 – 1st ODI at Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo;

February 26 – 2nd ODI at Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium, Hambantota;

March 1 – 3rd ODI at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy;

March 4 – 1st T20I at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy;

Match 6 – 2nd T20I at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy

It was Rovman Powell, though, who gave his team a chance while Simmons took them home.

Needing 61 from the last five overs, Northern Warriors, chasing 115 for victory, saw Powell smash 49 from 24 balls. His knock included five fours and two sixes. Together with Simmons, they took the score from 23 for 2 mid-way the third over to 99 for 2 from 8.5 overs.

However, when Powell was bowled off the inside edge from the last ball of Obed McCoy’s allotment, Simmons still had it all to do with the Warriors needing 16 from the last six balls.

The Trinidadian veteran duly obliged hitting two sixes from the second and fourth balls of Tom Helm's final to propel his team to victory.

Earlier Fabian Allen took 4 for 13 as Team Abu Dhabi fell away from 55 without loss after 2.5 overs to 114 for 7. Paul Stirling got TAD off to flyer smashing six sixes and three fours in his 13-ball knock. However, once he got out caught at mid-off from the bowling of Rayad Emrit, TAD struggled.

Gayle was out next ball for 7 caught at long-on by Allen from a Junaid Siddique delivery.

Allen then struck with the ball taking two wickets in each of his two overs as TAD slumped to 107 for 6 at the end of the ninth over.

Northern Warriors, a team that boasts five Caribbean players – Simmons, Powell, Allen, Pooran, and Emrit – will now face Delhi Bulls captained by Dwayne Bravo.