What ‘Sugar Boys’ did for Central

THE EDITOR: It does seem that more hard times are in store for the Wanderers Cricket Team. Already relegated to National Division II, the forecast is that a final death blow is to be delivered with the dismantling and restructuring of the sugar industry. It would be a tragedy if this great outfit, once dubbed the “Sugar Boys,” were to become a casualty of the restructuring exercise.

Even so, Mr Editor, please permit me to place Wanderers’ contribution to the development of Trinidad and Tobago in perspective. In the early 1960’s, the geography of Trinidad was spoken in terms of North and South only. And fed by the popular media, the general perception was that Northerners were of a superior breed. So when Moses Gill (Wanderers/South) shattered Kenny Furlonge’s (Harvard/North) stumps for Wanderers to emerge as National Champs at Gilbert Park in 1961, for all the youngsters watching, the myth of a northern superiority was blown forever. More than that, this victory over the middle class Harvard brought respectability to the lowly-paid working class cane cutter, helping in no small way, to build the self-esteem of the sons and daughters of the sugar industry. More than that, Wanderer’ victory over Queen’s Park in 1959 at Guaracara Park and later over Harvard in 1961 meant that a new definition was being brought to the physical landscape of Trinidad and Tobago.

As an instrument of PR for the sugar industry, slowly but surely, this club was carving out a space, an area, a niche — which in time came to the called Central Trinidad. After this, it was relatively easy to locate East and West in the social geography of Trinidad and Tobago. Still more, it was that club which struck a blow — albeit under the belt — for the democratisation of cricket in Trinidad and Tobago (remember the walk off against Queen’s Park in 1974). This was the catalyst for the Commission of Inquiry into cricket which led to the stripping of Queen’s Park power and eventual formation of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board of Control which, in fact, passed control of the administration of cricket to the people of Trinidad and Tobago. Mr Editor, there is more but I intend to end by saying that this club, nay, this institution has served as an instrument of PR, a provider of psychological nourishment and a vehicle of social change for the people of Central Trinidad in particular, and the country of Trinidad and Tobago in general. Before Basdeo Panday there was only Wanderers. The people of Central Trinidad — ex-players, supporters et al — should ensure that this institution never suffer from neglect and lack of attention. Any restructuring exercise must view Wanderers Cricket as an asset. We must insist that those who are in charge of disposing the assets of Caroni (1975) Ltd know that the successful bidder for Gilbert Park must take the Wanderers Cricket Club with him. For Wanderers Cricket Club and Gilbert Park are inextricably linked.

BERNARD HART
Ex-Wanderers