Sticking to the game plan from the team coaches helped Joshua Da Silva gets his season-best score of the 2020 CPL season on Sunday in a losing effort against the Guyana Amazon Warriors at Queens Park Oval.
The 22-year-old Trinidadian playing for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots scored 59 runs from 46 balls smashed five fours and two sixes as he played a pivotal role for the Patriots as they compiled 150 for 5 from their 20-over allotment.
The Amazon Warriors, spurred by an unbeaten 45-ball 100 from Nicholas Pooran achieved the target with 15 balls to spare.
Nonetheless, the half-century was Da Silva’s best score in four innings this season eclipsing the run-a-ball 41 he scored against the Barbados Tridents on August 18.
He told Sportsmax.TV that sticking to the game plan as outlined by coaches Mark O’Donnell and Stuart Williams, helped him achieve success against the Amazon Warriors bowling attack.
“It felt really good to get that score. I just wanted to play my role,” said Da Silva, who explained the plan communicated to him before he walked to the middle following the dismissal of Kieron Powell, bowled by Chris Green for just two and with only seven runs on the board.
“That was the main thing Coach Mark told me before. He told me don’t go outside of your role. Stuart Williams also, he’s been a big help to me. He told me your role is not to bash the ball all over the place,” Da Silva said.
“You’re going to get yourself in, you’re going to use the gaps, use your hands, that’s your strength. You’re going to get boundaries; you’re going to get sixes but play to your strengths. That is what is going to help us. That is your role. You need to be there in the end.”
He did not quite make it to the end.
Romario Shepherd bowled him with the second ball of the 18th over to make it 119 for 4. However, Denesh Ramdin’s 30-ball 37 pushed the total to 150.
However, even though he enjoyed the knock and hoped to maintain that form for the remainder of the season, da Silva revealed that it was uncomfortable out in the middle.
During his innings, he squatted on his haunches between overs, sweat visibly dripping from his helmet.
“It was really hot, really humid. We saw Glen Phillips (of the Jamaica Tallawahs in a previous match) he was on his knees after his innings even during the innings he was on his knees; Pooran as well,” he said.
“The conditions weren’t easy, running around a lot. The conditions were not ideal.”