Sooklal wins MVP cricket award

Sooklal earned the accolade for his gritty all-round displays and astute captaincy during the five-match tour.

He received the award at a special appreciation function organised by the National Primary Schools Cricket League at the National Cricket Centre, Balmain, Couva on August 26.

The Trinidad and Tobago team won four of their five matches in St Vincent, on occasions playing against much older opponents.

The TT All-Star team from the primary schools league created local cricket history as the first-ever to undertake an overseas goodwill tour at the Under-13 age group.

The team was selected following an intensive development camp of the top 90 cricketers from the2006 Atlantic LNG National Primary School Cricket tournament which concluded in July.

Batting star Stephen Katwaroo received the award for the Highest Individual Score — 70 not out against the St Vincent Cricket Academy Under-15 team.

Pint-size leg-spinner Nairon Motilal copped the award for Most Wickets (11). Other awards went to Jeron Joseph (Most Disciplined Player), Brandon Ramdial (Best Team Player) and Kieron Benny (Best Fieldsman). “Man-of-the-Match” awards went to Amit Badree, Emmanuel Lett, Stephen Katwaroo and Jimmy Thomas.

At the appreciation ceremony, Forbes Persaud, CEO and General Secretary of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB), said he was very proud of the young cricketers and their excellent performances on tour.

Anthony Ramjit, President of the NPSCL, who served as Chef de Mission on the tour, said the players were great ambassadors for Trinidad and Tobago. “The team excelled on and off the field of play,” he said.

“Their experiences will last a lifetime. I am confident they will serve our cricket well in the future. They performed beyond expectations as they played against much older players. In one match, there were even a couple of Under-19 players,” Ramjit said.

He thanked the TTCB, and several private sponsors, for making the tour a reality and hailed the partnership between energy company Atlantic LNG and the NPSCL as an essential ingredient in the development of cricket among the youngest players.

Atlantic LNG has partnered with the NRSCL for the past three years and has initiated an intensive two-day development camp for the top 90 players from Trinidad and Tobago.

The Atlantic LNG All-Star team for the St Vincent tour was selected following a trial match between teams representing North and South.