PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

TRINIDAD AND Tobago are plotting to strangle Barbados with spin in Friday's semi-final of the Stanford Twenty20 tournament.

"Our spinners are expected to play a major role in the semi-finals against Barbados. I say this based on the fact that spinners have generally performed well in the tournament thus far and also, our spinners have had the number of Barbados over the past years," T&T manager Omar Khan said.

"We have three very capable spinners in Dave Mohammed, Samuel Badree and Sherwin Ganga, and if they bowl their allotment of overs well, then Barbados will be restricted to a reasonable total."

In the quarter-finals last week, Barbados beat Grenada by 54 runs while Trinidad defeated St Vincent and the Grenadines by 59 runs, to set up the meeting.

Fast bowlers

Khan said that T&T, beaten finalists in the inaugural tournament in 2006, would also be depending on their fast bowlers to do some early damage.

"Having said that, our fast bowlers, led by the experienced Mervyn Dillon have also played well in the tournament and we will be looking to them to get the early breakthroughs," Khan continued.

"The batting is coming along and a lot of work has been done concerning the running between wickets, after the run-outs we suffered against St Vincent and the Grenadines in the quarter-finals.

"The guys are confident, everything is set and we now move on to Antigua, where hopefully, we will be lifting the trophy on Sunday night."

Khan said the Barbadian team was always a potent one and his team would be taking nothing for granted.

"The guys have to play intelligent cricket from ball one, in order to oust Barbados and they know this," said Khan.

"Although they have enjoyed recent successes against them, that is now in the past and come Friday a new match will be played. Barbados possesses some dangerous players and one cannot take anything for granted against them."

Trinidad & Tobago had a final intense training session under the watchful eyes of coach David Williams yesterday at the QueenÕs Park Oval, ahead of their flight to Antigua today.