Defending champs tackle leaders

Defending champions Ceramic Trinidad Merryboys will come up against current leaders Tile It Central Sports when the fourth round of matches in the Carib National League Division One competition bowls off today. Merryboys, the two-time defending champions, are lying mid table after three rounds with 31 points and will play host to Central Sports who have so far garnered 53 points to lead the eight-team table. Second place First Citizens Clarke Road United will come up against Couva Sports at the Wilson Road Recreation Ground in Penal.

Couva are tied with Merryboys and Alescon Comet on 31 points each and will be out to stop Clarke Road who are just five points shy of the leaders. Clarke Road are highly fancied to take the lead after this round of matches, unless Tile It Central Sports have the better of an improving Merryboys outfit. Comet will entertain last place Clico Preysal and after a first round loss to Central Sports, the Charlieville team have been playing excellent cricket. They are in the finals of the Carib Sunday League and only this week reached the semi-finals of the Carib Shield.

They are an inform team with former West Indies player Dinanath Ramnarine mesmerising opposing batsmen. Youngster Nicholas Ramjass and pacer Rayon Griffith are also in good bowling form and this could prove worrying for Preysal. The Central giants however are boosted by the return of West Indies Under-19 players Dinesh Ramdin and Ravi Rampaul. The latter has already made his presence felt with a superb bowling performance against PowerGen in the Carib Shield earlier this week. With PowerGen requiring five runs from four balls to win the match, Rampaul bowled the last four deliveries without conceding a run.

The last match will pit Queen’s Park against PowerGen at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain. The Penal boys will start as favourites with top spinners Dave Mohammed and Amit Jaggernauth on board. In Division Two runaway leaders W-Connection Wanderers who have 74 points will come against lowly Green Arrow Sports at Mt Stewart Village. The home team have just 14 points from their three matches and will be hard pressed to stop a rampaging Wanderers team that reached the semi-finals of the Carib Shield earlier this week.

CARIB NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION ONE MATCHES
Ceramic Merryboys vs Tile It Central Sports at Diego Martin.
QPCC vs PowerGen at the Oval.
FCB Clarke Road vs Transbrokerage Couva Sports at Wilson Road
Alescon Comet vs Clico Preysal at Pierre Road.

CARIB NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION TWO MATCHES
Mayo Valleyboys vs Las Lomas at Union Hall.
Green Arrow vs W-Connection Wanderers at Mt. Stewart.
Moosai vs Police at Honeymoon Park.
Constellation Munroe Road vs British American Aranguez at Munroe Road.

CARIB NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION ONE STANDINGS
Central Sports 53pts; Clarke Road 48pts; QPCC 44pts; PowerGen 36pts; Comets 31pts; Merryboys 31pts; Couva 31pts; Preysal 25pts.

DIVISION II STANDINGS
Wanderers 74pts; Las Lomas 54pts; Munroe Road 51pts; Aranguez 51pts; Mayo 50pts; Police 35pts; Moosai 24pts; Green Arrow 14pts.