WORCESTER: Lancashire, with the in form ex-West Indies captain Carl Hooper, tackle Worcester-shire today in the semi-finals of England’s Cheltenham and Gloucester (C&G) Trophy championship at New Road. Both teams have been lifted by the return of their Test players. Andrew Flintoff and James Anderson have been cleared by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to take part in the match for Lancashire, while South Africa’s Andrew Hall has been given special permission to return for Worcestershire. Hall had been signed by Worcestershire as an overseas player before his call-up to the Test squad. Hooper has featured in three fine wins by Lancashire in the past two weeks.
Hooper thumped a century (117) in Lancashire’s county win over Leicestershire last week before compiling a steady 71 in their National Cricket League (NCL) triumph over Nottingham-shire on Sunday. Then on Monday night, he hit an attacking half century, 79 off 67 balls, and took three wickets for Lancashire to beat Derbyshire in another NCL match. The 36-year-old Hooper, who was axed as West Indies captain after the World Cup and subsequently withdrew from the team, signed this summer for Lancashire as replacement for injured Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh.
Tranquillity Government Secondary have finished runners-up in the annual Sir Gary Sobers International Schools cricket tournament in Barbados. Batting first against Dominica Combined in the finals at Kensington Oval, Tranquillity scored a paltry 115 for nine wickets. Leading the way were national youth cricketers Clifton Halls, 28, and Samuel Felix, 25. In reply Dominica Combined made light work of the target getting to 116 for five, despite impressive bowling from Kevin Stoute who took two wickets for 36 runs. Tranquillity finished second in the 24-team tournament. Barrackpore Secondary won the title last year. Felix ended with the most runs for Tranquillity, 289 at an average of 57.4. However Halls, the Ceramic Merryboys player, had the better average. He scored 259 runs at 64.30.
The top bowler was skipper Darren Deonarine taking 13 wickets at 13.60. James Trim was next nabbing 11 wickets at 11.10. ‘Tranquil’ however retained their BET Under-15 title they won in 2002. They played unbeaten in the series to capture the title. Keron Malchan who was voted “Player of the Series” scored 227 runs at 56.30. Kyle Boneo copped the bowling award with 10 wickets at 6.30 apiece. Kevin John, Deonarine and Halls were all chosen for the West Indies representative schools team at the end of the tournament. The West Indies played a Rest of the World XI and were triumphant. Final scores: Tranquillity 115/9 (Samuel Felix 25, Clifton Halls 28) lost to Dominica Combined 116/5 (Kevin Stoute 2/36) — by 5 wkts.
PETER WHARTON emerged the senior winner when the Trinidad and Tobago Scrabble Association held their inaugural Open Scrabble Tournament at the Holy Name Convent, Couva on July 20. The tournament was contested in three divisions —- senior, intermediate and junior, and among the other winners were Daniel Gay (Intermediate) and Renee Jones (Juniors). Organisers of the competition said it was well supported by sponsors especially the business community in Couva. Wharton received a trophy donated by Venture Credit Union in addition to a NFM hamper. Second placed Kurt Ross took home a trophy which was donated by Central Credit Union and Leslie Charles received a trophy donated by Simpson’s Memorial of Couva for placing third.
Naipaul’s Supermarket donated a hamper and Carillion (Caribbean) Limited supplied a trophy to Gay for his victory. Angela Bohlai collected the Steel Workers Union Trophy for placing second and Jacek Konasiewicz received a trophy donated by SECU Credit Union for her third spot. Top of the juniors Jones took the trophy donated by Sissons Paints and the Universal Foods Limited hamper. The Public Services Association supplied the second place trophy which was received by Dana Nancoo; while Mikesi Alexander was the recipient of the Jack’s Tyre Traders Limited Trophy for third. Tomorrow scrabble action will resume when the Arima United Scrabble Club and the Arima Borough Council host their Open Scrabble Tournament from 9 am at the Arima Town Hall, Sorzano Street, Arima. All players are invited to take part in the three-division tournament. Registration begins at 8 and runs to 8.30 am and costs $25 for adults over 20 years and $15 for individuals under the age of 20. All entrants are asked to provide Scrabble boards and pens. Lunches will also be on sale. For further information call Samuel Davis at 645-4593, 662-5678 (work) and 643-1789 (home); Kurt Ross at 671-2424; and Kathleen Stephen at 759-9614.
Leslie Charles has been elected president of the Trinidad and Tobago Scrabble Association and will head the executive for the 2003-2004 term. The election was made at the association’s annual general meeting on Saturday, June 28 at the Eastern Regional Sporting Complex in Tacarigua. Other members of the executive are: Rajkumar Dukharan,vice president; Samuel Davis, secretary; Judy Jones, treasurer; and Kathleen Stephen, public relations officer. On Saturday, July 20 the Happy Hour Scrabble Club hosted the Arima United Scrabble Club at the Kosmos Club of Edward Street, Port-of-Spain. Happy Hour defeated their guests 16.5 to 8.5 to continue their unbeaten streak in the competition.
Happy Hour’s Rawle Neptune was undefeated in five matches and was named “Most Outstanding Player” for his performance. The association also staged an Inter-Club Best Pair tournament which featured two players from each club in competition for a challenge trophy. The Trincity Wordbuilders pair of Leslie Charles and Compton Welch successfully defended their title. Happy Hour’s Rawle Neptune and Adolphus Alexander fell just short and were second with Magarida De Souza and Kurt Ross of Arima United beaten into third.
STRIKER STEPHANIE Barrow led the way with four goals as Jane Public recorded their second win in the Trinidad and Tobago Women’s Football Association (TTWFA) competition. At the Anglail Road Recreation Ground, Cumana, on Wednesday, the Macoya-based unit trounced Toco 14-0. The diminutive Barrow received support from national players Janelle Nedd, Janelle Noel and Leslie-Ann James, who scored three goals apiece, while Aimey Russell netted the other. Jane Public are second on the standings, behind TIAHCO Stingrays, who were comfortable 5-1 winners over Diego Martin Corpius at the Queen’s Park Savannah. National playmaker Tasha St Louis notched a beaver-trick, with a Roxanne O’Brien penalty sealing victory for the Stingrays. Katrisha Christopher scored the lone goal for Corpius.
Memphis also made it two wins in two matches after cruising past fellow Arima-based club Ball Masters 5-0 at the Larry Gomes Enclosure, Arima. Michelle Reyes and Roxanne Toussaint struck twice for Memphis while Merlyn Hyacenth added the other. Central United recorded their first triumph of the season with a 2-0 win over Moruga, at the Enterprise Primary School Grounds, with goals from Stacey Ann Charles and Aimey Bissoon, while Candice Marcus was on target as Police edged Cruz International 1-0 at the Police Training College, St James.
Third round matches are scheduled for Wednesday.
NATIONAL Flour Mills salvaged some pride for local basketball when they downed Surinamese team Caribbean Little Devils. The Little Devils had opened their tour of Trinidad and Tobago with a victory over Marabella Raptors on Tuesday in Pleasantville. Royal Extra North Zone champs National Flour Mills beat the Devils 67-59 at the St Paul’s Street Gymnasium, Port-of-Spain, on Thursday. After being tied at 15 at the end of the first quarter and were trailing by nine points at the half; then being tied at 45 at the end of the third, NFM pulled away to take the eight-point win. Andy Best was the only NFM player to hit double figures. Little Devils’ Dwight Berkleef scored a match-high 16 points while Winston Bosk put in 13 and Sergio.
Derandamie recorded 10. Derandamie was restricted by the defensive efforts of NFM’s Marlon Drakes who studies on scholarship in the United States. Point Fortin All Stars waxed warm and walked over the Marabella Raptors to take a 97-71 win in the other match of the double-header. Ako Pascal of Raptors put up the match-high 30 points while All Stars Kervis King was close behind with 28. The All Stars pair of Roy Straker and Mervyn Morris each scored 16 points to help their team to victory but Raptors Damian Caton’s 14 and 10 points by Louie Davis could not keen their team afloat.
SPLITTING IMAGE had his problems and has not run up to his three-year-old mark but looks a sporting bet to land the Starter Allowance feature on the Arima Race Club Day 24 card at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, today. The five-year-old son of Beheaded had an outstanding three-year-old campaign, performing equally well on both surfaces before going wrong. Injury curtailed his career at four and he was only seen out on three ocasions. Trainer Grant Lourenco nursed him back to fitness giving him his first start of the current season in May. Splitting Image had two quick follow up appearances, finishing among the backmarkers in both. The dark bay horse owned by the El Paso Stables syndicate was then re-introduced to the turf course where he seems to thrive, and gave an improved performance, finishing second to Lady Honoree over 1100 metres.
In that event over todays trip, he tracked the early pace and made good headway off the bend to hold every chance inside the final 200 metres and was only beaten half a length by the winner, who was in receipt of three kilos. The son of Beheaded/Samana is six kilos better off with Harold Chadee’s American-bred filly, who was a nervous sort early in the season. And although Lady Honoree seems more settled these days and is clearly on the upgrade, the turnaround in the weights could prove the telling factor in the dash. Trainer John O’Brien does well with his runners in their prep races leading up to the derby and can strike with Due Dilligence in the 1750 metres West Indian bred three-year-olds handicap, the supporting event on the 10-race card. The son of Freshly Squeezed enjoyed a four-kilo advantage with Midsummer Classic runner-up Celebration Time and after taking him on from the backstretch, Due Dilligence only went under in the dying strides. That run which was only his fourth this season, had a measure of classic standard, and victory today could place the Nap Stables bay colt back into the Blue Riband picture. Beautiful Mind looks the pick in the Turf Handicap which follows.
The Gelnn Mendez-trainee has shown fine form in his fours starts this season, passing the post second twice and third once before opening his winning account last week. His best run before that success came in in the Santa Rosa Classic, where he was demoted to third behind winner Sweet Tempo, and Golden Honour whom he impeded. As hard as Beautiful Mind tried in the 1200 metres race he seemed to have no answer to his challengers. But it has been proven that our selection had plenty on his plate that day since the winner and official runner-up went on to frank the form by finishing in the same order in the Oaks. Today’s race represents his first on the grass, but it appears a more moderate affair and looks within Beautiful Mind’s grasp. Sunday Jewel won last week’s juvenile opener, but lost the victory when the stewards declared the race void, because it was run over 1100 metres instead of 1000 metres as it was framed. An agreement was reached to have the race re-run today, but this has been ruled out under Rule 57 of the Rules of Racing, which not only prevents the re-run of a void race, but protects against any litigation. Trainer Maniram “Boboy” Maharaj’s runners which have dominated the entries of the early juvenile events has done so again and could repeat last week’s feat by again making a clean sweep of the $22,000 in prize money.
IT WAS an historic occasion for Tobago when the 47th Annual Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships teed off at the Plantations Beach and Golf Resort at Lowlands on Wednesday. It is the first time the premier golf tournament in the region is being staged in the sister isle, and after a decade in Trinidad and Tobago. The competition has attracted nine overseas countries with Puerto Rico defending four categories while another has been added this year. On Tuesday the Tobago Plantations Golf Course was the scene of a colourful flag-raising ceremony to launch the championships. The ten teams marched past Minister Roger Boynes, the Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs; Cynthia Alfred, Assis-tant Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly; and a host of Caribbean golf officials including President of the Caribbean Golf Association, Arthur Ziadie, and his Trinidad and Tobago counterpart, Asraph Ali. The tournament has been blessed with fine weather over the past three days and the home team are still in with a chance in the coveted Hoerman Cup competition going into today’s fourth and final round.
Puerto Rico, who swept all categories on their home greens last year, will want to add the new Mid-amateur Championship to its bag however. Host country Trinidad and Tobago are attempting to win all five trophies at stake this year and team manager Robert Costelloe feels that their chances this year are excellent. This titles at stake are: The Hoerman Cup, the Higgs and Higgs Trophy, the Francis Steel- Perkins Trophy, the George Teale Memorial Trophy; and the Ramon Baez Trophy. The Arthur Ziadie Trophy is at stake for the country with the most points. This is Tobago’s maiden Caribbean Amateur Golf Tournament as each Caribbean country gets the opportunity to host the championship only once every 10 years. As part of their tourism drive, Tobago are looking forward to sharing the beauty and ambience of the island with the regional golfers and their supporters.
BLACKBURN: Blackburn Rovers manager Graeme Souness believes another top-six finish could prove beyond his side this season. Blackburn earned a UEFA Cup spot by finishing sixth in their second season back in the English Premier League with Trinidad and Tobago’s Dwight Yorke in their line-up. But with the 1995 champions no longer among the big spenders in English football, Souness says survival is his top priority. “Our aim this year is to survive. The first challenge is to get to 40 points and after that try and get more points than last year and see where it takes us. But 40 points is the first aim,” Souness told a news conference yesterday.
“I can’t see us improving on that (sixth place last season). If you look at the teams who finished above us they are all giant clubs. “Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are all far bigger clubs than us. Then if you look over your shoulder and down the league clubs like Aston Villa and Tottenham are far bigger clubs than us as well. “They have all improved this year, with one changing their manager, so it will be a very difficult season.” Blackburn have lost Damien Duff, sold to Chelsea for 17 million pounds, and former England Under-21 captain David Dunn, who has joined Birmingham City. Souness believes he still has a potentially stronger squad with the arrival of former Rangers defender Lorenzo Amoruso, Australian international Brett Emerton and Republic of Ireland international Steven Reid. Striker Matt Jansen and midfielder David Thompson have also returned to fitness. But the former Scotland captain still wants to bring in more new faces. He said: “I think we need a defender, a midfielder and a striker. We’ve lost a few players and I think we need three players. The board might disagree with me, but that’s my opinion.”
WHILE members of the public grow more disturbed over the crime situation and the failure of the Police to curb the menace, a 41-year-old mother of four was brutally murdered before a crowd of onlookers without anyone raising a finger to help her. Juliet Victoria Cummings was attacked while she sat in a maxi-taxi at the NIPDEC car park and maxi-taxi hub in Princes Town on Saturday night. Her assailant began stabbing her in the vehicle, then he dragged her out in the road where he finished the job by slitting her throat. So vicious was the attack, we are told, that Cummings was stabbed more than 20 times and that she was almost beheaded.
What worries us about this act of murder is not only its savagery but the reaction of the many persons who stood by watching the slaughter as if it were the scene in a movie. No one even thought of reporting the killing to the Princes Town police. Indeed, it becomes even more alarming to learn that the Police had difficulty in getting eye witnesses to state what they saw and to identify the knife-wielding attacker. We understand that the taxi driver, who fled when the violence began, was unable to positively identify the suspect who, with the bloody knife in his hand, was heard screaming “who next? who next?” before bolting into nearby bushes. Another man who claimed to have seen the killer running away from the scene refused to help the Police. Eileen Mendoza, mother of the slain woman, said: “Everyone calling his name as the murderer but nobody telling the police.” We understand that it took some time for Police investigators to find one eye witness willing to talk and, as a result, a man has been arrested and charged. Still, it is our view that the killing of this helpless mother, who had been desperately seeking protection, was so horrible that, even if they were too coward to help her then, at the very least, the on-lookers should all be determined to see justice done and, therefore, quite willing to assist the Police in this case.
But, sad to say, this was not their reaction. It is all well and good for members of the public to express their anger over what they see as the inadequacy of the Police to deal with the crime problem. However, the murder of Juliet Cummings tells us that many do not understand that as citizens the problem is also theirs, that they have a compelling responsibility to act in the prevention of crime, in assisting the Police to solve cases of crime and to bring culprits to justice. We have pointed out ad nauseam already that the task of curbing the prevalence of criminal activity in TT is one for the entire society, that every citizen must help in this national objective where possible. It is an egregious abdication for anyone, having witnessed the committing of a serious crime, to say, “look, I don’t want to get involved. The Police are paid to deal with crime; let them handle it.” That attitude is self-centred, myopic, cowardly, uncivic, and totally inimical to the task of building a national society. Unfortunately, it is an attitude that still infects a large percentage of our population. There are so-called citizens who would be the first to join a demonstration demanding stronger action from the authorities against crime but who, like the onlookers at Cummings’ killing, are not themselves prepared to do anything to combat the scourge or even to bring one criminal to justice. Maybe we should stop fooling ourselves; maybe we are not as caring, as concerned and as responsible a society as we would like to believe. Maybe we should simply accept the fact that we cannot avoid becoming “Americanised,” succumbing to a culture where violence is ingrained and nobody gets involved.
