PowerGen schools final under lights

TRINIDAD and Tobago cricket team manager Omar Khan has noted that there is no better way to help to develop the youngsters than by providing avenues for character building, such as cricket.

Khan, who also serves as Corporate Communications Mana-ger of PowerGen, was speaking at yesterday’s media briefing to launch the  Secondary Schools Cricket League Intercol final today. The function was held at the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board of Control (TTCBC) office, Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain. Presentation College Chaguanas, who shared the title with Princes Town Senior after last year’s decider was rained out, will face the improving Tranquillity Secondary in tomorrow’s 30-over-per-side final at Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre from 5.30 pm. St Jude’s Home for Girls will meet the winner of yesterday’s semi-final between Barrackpore Secondary and El Dorado Senior in the girls final from 1 pm.

Pres, who were the overall champs in 1998 and 2000 and runners-up in 1999 and 2001, defeated Barrackpore by 44 runs in one semi-final while Tranquil, the first team outside the South/Central region to gain a final berth, whipped Union Claxton Bay by 56 runs in the other. PowerGen is sponsoring the league for the sixth successive year. “We have brought a new dimension to the Secondary Schools Intercol competition with the final being staged under lights for the fourth consecutive year,” said Khan yesterday. And players will trade the traditional white clothing and red ball for coloured gear, white ball and black sightscreens. “PowerGen is proud to be associated with the SSCL and our sponsorship of the league is in keeping with the company’s major philantrophic focus of youth development through sport and education,” Khan continued.

Among the players who have used the league as a springboard to their senior careers are national captain and West Indies batsman Daren Ganga, Dwayne Bravo, Lendl Simmons, Ravi Rampaul, Aneil Kanhai, Amit Jaggernauth, Gregory Mahabir, Denzil James and Dinesh Ramdin. Both teams will have added incentives on the day, with Pres captain, wicketkeeper-batsman Ramdin announcing that his team will dedicate their performance to outgoing manager-coach Lalman Kowlessar.  Tranquil skipper, off-spinner Kapil Subran revealed that his team will play in memory of the late national Under-20 football captain Marvin Lee.