FCB Clarke Road on brink of national crown

FCB CLARKE Road need only to draw this weekend’s clash against Alescon Comet, at Pierre Road, Charlieville, to lift their first ever Carib National Cricket League Division One crown. Four matches will be contested today and tomorrow from 10 am each day. The Clarke Road team have 98 points from six matches and, barring any dramatic turn of events, seem set to dethrone Ceramic Merryboys.

Clarke Road will pin their hopes on West Indies Under-19 opening batsman Tishan Maraj, West Indies “B” team middle-order batsman Gregory Mahabir, national player Kenton Thompson and evergreen off-spinner Mukesh Persad. Comet, who are sixth in the eight-team standings with 63 points, will need a good result to avoid the relegation drop, as Carib Shield champions W Connection Wanderers have been assured of promotion to the top flight by virtue of their win in Division Two. And the Comet lads will rely on West Indies opener Daren Ganga, ex Windies leg-spinner Dinanath Ramnarine, former WI batsman Suruj Ragoonath and all-rounder Rajendra Mangalee.

Merryboys will make the short journey from Diego Martin to the Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain to face Queen’s Park; while Tile It Central Sports will host CLICO Preysal at Presentation College Grounds, Chaguanas. And, in the clash of the bottom two teams, Transbrokerage Couva Sports will welcome PowerGen at the Couva Junior Secondary Grounds. A defeat for either club will most certainly see them relegated to the Second Division next season. Points Standings: Clarke Road 98; Queen’s Park 83; Central Sports 82; MerryBoys 74; Preysal 67; Comets 63; PowerGen 60; Couva Sports 53.