GEORGETOWN: Middle-order batsman Narsingh Deonarine and wicket-keeper Carlton Baugh dented Australia’s pride with a pulsating 221-run unfinished seventh wicket partnership as the West Indies Carib Beer XI earned a creditable draw against the World Cup champions on the final day of their three-day match at the Everest Cricket Club ground yesterday.
Set the daunting task of scoring 442 for victory, after Australia were dismissed for 196 in the first session of play, the Carib Beer XI closed the day on 402 for six with Deonarine undefeated on 141 and Baugh, who has been included in the West Indies 14-man squad for the first Cable and Wireless Test, a swashbuckling 115 not out, both achieving their second First-Class centuries. Deonarine’s unbeaten knock followed his maiden hundred against India “A”, while Baugh scored his against Barbados, both at the Kensington Oval Barbados, representing the West Indies “B” in this year’s inaugural Carib Beer Series tournament.
The two came together, just before tea, with defeat seemingly staring the Carib Beer XI at 180 for six after left-arm spinner Brad Hogg had engineered a middle-order collapse, bagging five for 50 in his first 14 overs. The left-right combination proceeded to dominate the Australian spinners as Australian captain, Steve Waugh noticeably used his two main pacers, Jason Gillespie and Andy Bichel, very sparingly, the two sending down only 18 of the 81 overs bowled. There was no respite for leg-spinner Stuart MacGill, who ended with one for 126 off 26 overs, while Hogg, who finished with five for 112, was punished for 72 in his last eight overs.
CAPTAIN GARY Griffith has tendered his resignation as second vice-president of the Trinidad and Tobago Hockey Board (TTHB) and manager of the national men’s senior hockey team effective April 4.
In a letter to TTHB head Maureen Craig-Rousseau, the 39-year-old Griffith explained that his resignation stemmed from “other commitments and the desire to allow others the opportunity to develop in the hockey administrative arena.” But the soldier was high in praise of the TTHB executive. “I feel confident that the Board will continue to perform efficiently and effectively , which augurs well towards the sport developing at a rapid rate in the near future.” In concluding his five-year managerial role, Griffith recommended: “We need to continue to develop both our players and technical staff alike, which can only be done by allowing them the opportunity to perform, and hopefully not fail.”
Griffith had a successful stint as manager in 2002 —- at the Pan Am Indoor World Cup qualifier in Washington, DC, when the women earned a berth to the inaugural Indoor W/Cup with a gold medal performance while the men copped bronze. The men won gold medal at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Puerto Rico. His parting words to the TTHB president were: “I hope that success breeds success, and this pattern will continue in the near future through character traits that I deem critical towards a team’s success, some of which are utmost dedication to the team, self motivation, good leadership and, above all, discipline.”
Former West Indies opener Bryan Davis is asking questions about the selection of sacked regional cricket captain Carl Hooper and opener Chris Gayle for the World Double Wicket Championships in St. Lucia last weekend.
The much-respected Davis posed the query when commenting on the decision by the WI selectors not to select Gayle for the First Test against Australia in Guyana starting on Thursday. “What I would really like to know is who picked Gayle and Hooper for the double wicket tournament?” asked Davis. The Gayle/Hooper combination finished beaten semi-finalists and pocketed US $20,000. Gayle played in the series and failed to show for Jamaica against Barbados in the Carib Beer International Challenge final at Kensington Oval in Barbados.
The Jamaicans went under to the Barbadians who completed a double, after winning the Carib Beer Cup earlier in the season. “If it were the West Indies selectors who choose the players to take part in the tournament, then it is beyond me that they have now dropped one for participating. It would be very unfortunate if this was the case,” Davis said. “The only way I could comprehend this is if the St. Lucia Cricket Association picked the players for the tournament. Then Gayle would have made his decision on his own without any consideration for his country and employers and in this case there are eligibility rules that can rule him out,” reasoned Davis.
Sports Editor of Newsday, Zaid Mohammed, was furious after the decision was taken to drop the talented Gayle. “It is just another case of bungling by the West Indies cricket officials which could place our success against the Australians in jeopardy before the series even gets going,” said Mohammed. “The names of both players were sent to the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and they were given the all clear. Now the same Board dropped him from the team, citing the eligibility rule,” the Newsday Sports Editor said. “This sends a confusing message to the region and the issue must be settled quickly to focus on the more urgent task at hand which can only be tackled successfully with the Caribbean’s best opening batsman back on the team,” Mohammed said.
The experienced scribe added he is very happy with the selection of fellow Trinidadian Daren Ganga who for the first time is being given a chance to show what he is capable of in front of his home fans. “Ganga is a player who has been groomed to play for the West Indies team. I am certain he will start in the First Test and make every effort to justify the selectors’ faith in him,” Mohammed said.” The Newsday journalist also praised the Sir Viv Richards led panel for their investment in the young players of the region with the call-up of David Bernard Jnr, Carlton Baugh and Devon Smith.
Successful coach of the Trinidad and Tobago Under-15 cricket team Bachan Boochoon said yesterday that he was particularly unhappy with the fact that he has been handed the team with only four days to go to the tournament in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
“I am afraid that this does not afford me sufficient time to prepare the team adequately,” a concerned Boochoon said. Trinidad and Tobago have won the regional U-15 title for the past three years under the guidance of Boochoon but this time around he says it is going to be a different kettle of fish. “We are playing on foreign soil and it will not be easy to win as we have done during the past three years in Trinidad. We needed more time to prepare the team,” he said. “Preparation involves mental, technical and tactical emphasis that stretch over a prolonged period. I cannot see us accomplishing these things in four days.”
The team gathered at the National Cricket Centre, Balmain Village, Couva yesterday to begin a mental preparation seminar with consultant Liala Valere. Second vice-president of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board of Control (TTCBC), Ellis Lewis addressed the youths and told them that talent alone does not bring success in cricket. “Winning is not having talent only but a source of purpose, dedication and understanding of the game.” The Under-15 players leave on Thursday for St. Vincent.
Clico Preysal will play First Citizen’s Clarke Road United in the semi-finals of the 2003 Carib Cup cricket series today at Gilbert Park, California from 4 pm today.
This is a repeat of the semi-final of the Carib Sunday League which Preysal won handsomely. Clarke Road will however go out today seeking revenge. Guyanese batsman Damodar Dasrath has been in great form and all-rounder Mahadeo Bodoe is playing well at the moment and they can pose a great threat to the Preysal team. The central boys on the other hand are coming off some very good results recently and main man Keith Arthurton is in prime form. The winner of this clash will take on Ceramic Merryboys in the finals under lights at Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre on May 2.
Calcutta Cricket Club fought back gallantly to save their fourth round Central Zone First Division clash against Exchange, at the Calcutta Cricket Ground, Freeport over the weekend.
Calcutta were routed for 121 by former Police player Jadoonanan Peak who took four for 49. Exchange then declared their first innings at 299 for six with Steve Sookdeo getting 80 and Shane Ramlogan 64. Facing a deficit of 178 runs, Calcutta reached 208 for six when stumps were drawn.
SCORES
At Calcutta: Calcutta 121 (Kastri Singh 26, Noushard Mohammed 19, Jadoonanan Peak 4/39, Mohan Manoo 3/19) & 208/6 drew with Exchange 299/6 (Shane Ramlogan 64, Steve Sookdeo 80, Lindey Rondon 49, Kastri Singh 3/86).
FLYWEIGHT Terrance Lokai sealed his place on the national team for the upcoming Caribbean Amateur Boxing Championships (CABA) with an impressive display in a box-off on Sunday at the Cosmic Gym in Marabella.
Lokai, a 23-year-old from the Revival Boxing Gym in Port-of-Spain, scored a huge revenge victory against Aaron Cumberbatch in a surprising one-sided contest. The Barataria fighter, a baker with Rolls at the Uptown Mall in Port-of-Spain and who is also a skilled tatooist upped his record to six wins in ten bouts with four losses. The defeats, Lokai said were all outside of Trinidad and Tobago at Caribbean Championships with the one exception being a disputed bout against Cumberbatch more than a year ago. “I thought that the decision at the 2001 National Championships in Diego Martin was not fair. Sunday’s win is all the more sweeter now,” said Lokai yesterday.
Coming out agressively on Sunday, Lokai peppered his opponent, the “Most Outstanding Boxer” at last year’s Caribbean Championship with a series of stinging left jabs forcing referee Errol Campbell to intervene with three standing eight-counts for Cumberbatch. The flurry of blows continued for the duration of the bout as Lokai, a silver medallist at last year’s regional competition in Martinique, forced Cumberbatch to retreat in a vain attempt at evasion as the Revival fighter hunted his prey relentlessly and was rewarded with an unanimous decision. Manager of Lokai, Allan Ferguson, a former national middleweight amateur champion, said the victory was not unexpected as together with head Revival coach, Rufus Edwards they have been studying the style and fight record of Cumberbatch over the past several months. “The Revival Technical Team knew everything about his way of fighting and Lokai did the job. Our boy is now certain to go to the Bahamas and we are confident that he will bring back a gold medal,” said Ferguson yesterday.
Lokai said his preparation has been hampered over the past year by the closure of the Revival Gym which was done to protest the administration of the sport in Trinidad and Tobago. “I hope to get in more glove-work and sparring within the next week to reach full fitness,” said Lokai. However he said he is coming into peak form at the moment and will be in tip-top shape just in time for the Caribbean Championships from April 20 to 27. The defeat was a letdown for Cumberbatch, gold medallist at CABA and winner of two top individual awards at the Caribbean Championships last year and who is being prepared for the World Junior Boxing Championships in Romania later this year. Lokai is slated to face his opponent again on Sunday in another box-off to ready the national boxers for the Caribbean Championships and has no qualms of a refreshed Cumberbatch, hungry to go one-up. “I am fully prepared mentally and physically for him. I will beat him again, that’s for sure,” Lokai said.
Trinidad and Tobago football club Superstar Rangers have received their official invitation to visit Birmingham from Premier League outfit Aston Villa.
The Under-17 team of Rangers will be arriving in Birmingham on April 10. A contingent of 18 players and seven staff members will stay at the Apollo Hotel, Hagley Road in Birmingham. “It gives me great pleasure to invite Superstar Rangers FC to Aston Villa FC and spend ten days with us in England. We have organised all the necessary transport and accommodation. We look forward to your visit which we hope will prove worthwhile to both clubs” stated Villa Community Officer Duncan Riddle in a letter addressed to Rangers chairman Richard Fakoory recently. Pro Sports Caribbean’s Peter Miller will be head and head with Rangers during the stay, having already played a significant role in making the arrangements.
The day following Rangers’ arrival in Birmingham, the contingent will be introduced to youngsters at the Holte School before preceding a luncheon. They will then engage in their first training session at the indoor academy, Villa Park. With three matches on the schedule for Rangers, one of the highlights of the upcoming trip will be the team’s attendance at the Premiership encounter between Aston Villa and Chelsea at Villa Park on Saturday April 19 at which time the club will be featured in the official match programme as well as being honoured during the half time interval. “This is a trip that we are all looking forward to,” said Fakoory. “It’s going to be no ordinary outing for us and we hope that our club will be able to take a whole lot out of it. Our intentions are also to assist Aston Villa in whichever way necessary. Moreso, the opportunity being presented here for our players and coaches is certainly one they can take with them for the remainder of their careers,” he added.
Rangers are scheduled to play the youth teams of Northampton Town on April 14 and Wrexham the following day. They are also likely to face the Villa Community team. Intense training has been taking place under coaches Errol McFarlane and Mervyn “Gamba” Morris at President’s Ground, St Ann’s. Among the 18 players making the trip are TT Under-17 captain and midfielder Josimar Belgrave who will skipper the Rangers outfit, goalkeeper Thorne Holder, TT U-17 striker Simba Aberdeen, National defensive duo Marvin and Machel James, another national defender Sean Bateau, Allan Crane (goalkeeper), Corneal Thomas (defender), Stephan Granderson (defender), Keith Williams (defender), Jack Weedon (midfielder), Keston Jones (midfielder), Terryson Lewis (midfielder), Emmanuel Joseph (striker), Kyle Mc Ivor (striker), Kitwana Abosi (midfielder), Stephan St Louis (striker) and Keron Grimes (striker)
The management of Pamberi Steel Orchestra yesterday publicly thanked Pan Trinbago for coming to their assistance in their time of need by granting them a loan to the tune of $110,000.
This figure covered the outstanding balance and legal fees the band owed its former arranger Godwin Bowen who levied on the band, taking most of its instruments. Speaking to the media at the band headquarters in San Juan , committee member Nestor Sullivan said, “Our reason for the press conference is to let our fans, supporters and well wishers know that we are in possession of all our instruments and the band is operating.”
According to Sullivan, “People from all over the world were enquiring about our welfare. From as far off as India, USA and France people were concern.” We also want to thank the national body for giving us a grace period before we start repayment of the loan, this starts in 2004.” The outspoken Sullivan also said that the band missed out on an opportunity to show everyone that they are back on a sound footing by not being in the Pan In The 21st Century competition. The reason, they were late with their registration. This he blames entirely on the executive of the Eastern Region of Pan Trinbago, as he said no one in the region told them anything about the competition.
“Imagine when I asked the chairman of the region, Vernon Morancie about the competition, he told me to check information on the radio and newspaper,” cried Sullivan. “That is incompetence to the highest,” he added. Sullivan also outlined some of the projects Pamberi has on the drawing board. First there is “Caribbean Integration” in which Pamberi and Scherzando will host Pan Wizard Steel Orchestra from Grenada. Then comes a youth programme where the band will work with San Juan schools to develop a youth arm of Pamberi. More ambitious projects entail the development of the panyard facilities and an international tour of Japan and Canada.
CHARGES are expected to be laid sometime today with respect to the murder of retired school teacher Ralphy Ramcharan whose body was found submerged in a river off Black Dirt Trace, Barataria, on March 26.
Four people, including two women were up to late yesterday assisting officers of the North Eastern Division with their investigations. Three of the four, one a woman, were arrested in Tobago by Homicide officers, while the other female was arrested on Saturday. Once charged, the four, two from St Joseph, the other two from Cumuto and Sangre Grande, will appear before a Port-of-Spain magistrate later today. Cpl Francis Vidale of the Barataria/El Socorro Police Station is continuing investigations.
Meantime, officers of the Northern Division were up to late evening conducting identification parades with a 32-year-old suspended Special Reserve Policeman (SRP) who was arrested following Saturday’s shooting of Highway Patrol Officer, PC Edric Jeremy and the robbery of Ramsaroop’s furniture store, El Dorado, Tunapuna. Cpl Neville Adams of the St Joseph CID is continuing enquiries.
