Cooper, Thurton, Abdool win top SSCL Awards

Cooper, who is currently on West Indies Under-19 duty, won the Premiership Cricketer of the Year award.

The Naparima College student scored 387 runs at an average of 64.5 in seven innings. His highest score was 125 not out. He was also a useful bowler, grabbing six wickets in the season with his best figures being five for 12.

Thurton’s statistics were similar on his way to the Championship Cricketer of the Year award.

Playing for St Benedict’s College, Thurton amassed 395 runs in seven innings at an average of 65.8.

His highest score was 162. With the ball, Thurton snatched 16 wickets including a spell of 4/10.

Abdool won the Girls Cricketer of the Year award after an excellent all-round performance for Barrackpore East Secondary.

Abdool averaged 84.75 after scoring 339 runs in five innings with a highest score of 100. Abdool was solid with the ball also, taking 16 wickets including a spell of 5/10.

Head engineering reliability and support services at Powergen, Krishna Rampersad; Arjoon Ramlal of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board; president of the SSCL Surujdath Mahabir, and West Indies leg spinner Samuel Badree all spoke at the ceremony.

Badree, who is also a curriculum officer at the Ministry of Education, encouraged the young cricketers to persevere as he took a long time to make it to the highest level. Badree said, “I never played any youth cricket for Trinidad and Tobago, no Under-13, Under-15, Under-17 or Under- 19. I never made any of those teams yet I was able to represent not only Trinidad and Tobago but also the West Indies team.

Do not be deterred if at first you do not succeed, try and try again.” Badree, one of the top ranked T20 bowlers in the world, urged the youngsters to not neglect their public-speaking as being able to articulate yourself is important.

He said a number of West Indies cricketers struggle to express themselves during interviews.

“I want to encourage you young boys and girls as part of your personal development to work on your public speaking skills.

As a cricketer, at any point in time you will want to get the man of the match, you will want to become the best player,” he said.

Badree used the example of former West Indies and Guyanese batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul who found it difficult to take part in interviews when he broke into the West Indies team in the mid-1990s. Chanderpaul has improved over the years, and now talks fluently during interviews.

HONOUR ROLL
Premiership
Runners up - Fatima College
Winners - Hillview College

National Winners Super Sixes
Runners up - Barrackpore West Secondary School
Winner - Hillview College

Under-14
Runners up - Presentation College, Chaguanas
Winner - Hillview College

Under-16
Runners up - Shiva Boys Hindu College
Winner - Hillview College

Seniors League (50 Overs)
Runners Up - Queen’s Royal College
Winner - ASJA Boys College (Charlieville)

Seniors T20
Runners up - North Eastern College
Winners - ASJA Boys College (Charlieville)

National Championship
Runners up - Signal Hill Secondary School
Winner - St Benedict’s College

Intercol Finals
Girls Open Division
Runners up - Swaha Hindu College
Winner - St Stephen’s College

Boys T20
Runners up - Naparima Boys College
Winner - Hillview College

Special Awards
Coach of the Year - Richard Kelly
School of the Year - Hillview College (won Super Sixes, Under-14, Under-16, Premiership, Intercol)

Service to Cricket - William Wallace

Three Girls Cricketers of the Year
Ellenor Nixon - Swaha Hindu College
Shania Abdool - Barrackpore East Secondary School
Leah Mohammed - St Stephen’s College

Three North Championship Cricketers of the Year
Joshua James - Signal Hill Secondary
Daveon Shanghie - Signal Hill Secondary
Darriel Ramdenny – Manzanilla Secondary

Three South Championship Cricketers of the Year
Crystian Thurton - St Benedict’s College
Mbeki Joseph – St Benedict’s College
Marcus Samaroo - St Benedicts College

Three Premiership Cricketers of the Year
Sachin Seecharan - Hillview College
Cephas Cooper - Naparima Boys College
Emilo Gopaul – Presentation College, Chaguanas

Girls Cricketer of the Year Shania Abdool
Championship Cricketer of the Year Crystian Thurton
Premiership Cricketer of the Year Cephas Cooper.