OUTSTANDING bowling by former West Indies Test spinner Rajindra Dhanraj (five for 45) yesterday allowed Ceramic MerryBoys to enforce the follow-on against Police on the second day of their Carib National Division One penultimate round match played at the Diego Martin Recreation ground.
MerryBoys, the defending champions, are seeking to win the match outright and remain in contention to retain the coveted Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board of Control premier local cricket title. MerryBoys made a challenging 402 in their first innings and bowled out Police for 208 in their first turn at the crease. Failing to avoid the follow-on and having to face the music in their second innings, the lawmen showed some spunk and rallied to 28 without loss. Damien Hanuman was undefeated on 22 while Lincoln Williams is on four.
Former national allrounder Robert Mahabir topscored for Police with 61 (one six and six fours) while Glenford Boyce made 52 (six fours). Apart from Dhanraj’s heroics with the ball as he spun a web of mystery around Police’s batsmen, young Tranquillity Government Secondary’s captain Kapil Subran scalped two for 24. At Wilson Road Recreation Ground, riding on the brilliant 178 by stylish left-handed West Indies “B” team player Gregory Mahabir, current leader FCB Clarke Road United amassed 403 for nine declared against Clico Preysal in their marquee match. The visitors reached 18 without loss when umpires Khairool Ali and Asim Bassarath were forced to halt play at 5.10 pm because of fading light. All four matches end today.
Summarised Carib NCL Division One Scores:
At Diego Martin Recreation ground: CERAMIC MERRYBOYS 402 vs POLICE 208 (Robert Mahabir 61, Glenford Boyce 52; Rajindra Dhanraj 5 for 45, Kapil Subran 2 for 24) and 28 without loss (Damien Hanuman 22 not out).
At Wilson Road, Penal: FCB CLARKE ROAD UNITED 403 for 9 declared (Gregory Mahabir 178, Ryerson Bhagoo 58 not out, Mahadeo Bodoe 36, Sean Siloch 65; Shazam Babwah 3 for 54, Eugene Antoine 2 for 60, Ravi Rampaul 2 for 80) vs CLICO PREYSAL 18 without loss.
At QP Oval: QUEEN’S PARK CC 403 for 9 declared (Brent Augustus 137, Shakeel Ali 54 not out, Ricardo Paty 44, Earnil Ryan 37; Devindra Krishna 4 for 96, Lennox Cush 2 for 92, Rodney Sooklal 2 for 88); TILE IT CENTRAL SPORTS 106 for three (Lennox Cush 50 not out).
At Pierre Road: ALESCON COMETS 252 (Surij Ragoonath 54, Junior Sadhoo 50; Amit Jaggernauth 5 for 77, David Williams 3 for 35, Brent Harriot 2 for 40) vs PowerGen Sports 58 for three.
ST JOHN’S: Mali Richards, the 19-year-old son of West Indies batting legend Sir Vivian Richards, is eyeing a first-team pick this summer with the English County Middlesex.
The left-handed young Richards travels to England next month to join the Middlesex reserves, with an opportunity to climb into the County Championship team if he plays well enough. “Basically I am going there with aspirations of somehow pushing my way into the first team,” Richards said on CMC’s CricketPlus DHL Tea-Time Show on Friday. “They have given me the opportunity of starting with the second eleven and from there, my performances will tell whether I deserve to go up into the first team,” added Richards, who turns 20 in September. Richards recently returned to the Caribbean from Australia where he played Grade Cricket in Sydney for the past five months “trying to develop my game in different conditions.”
A budding tennis star in his early teens before deciding he wants to pursue a professional cricket career, Richards, who was born in England while his father played there in the 1980s, said his trip to Australia was good for him. “It was good experience in a very competitive league,” he said. Richards suggested individual talent in the Caribbean is equivalent to the Australians, but added that there is a greater volume in the current world cricketing powerhouse. Richards reiterated his preference for West Indies representation if he lifts his game to that level.
CHARLOTTE: Trinidad and Tobago’s Stephen Ames is joint 53rd entering today’s final day of the US $5.6 million Wachovia Championship, played at the 7,396-yard, par-72 Quail Hollow Club. The Canadian resident shot a two-over-par 74 yesterday for a three day tally of 218, alongside Olin Browne, Glen Day, Jason Caron, Ben Crane and Len Mattiace. David Toms is atop the leaderboard with 205, with Kirk Triplett, Robert Gomez and JP Hayes joint second on 210.
SOUTH STARWORLD Strikers and W Connection come out today for their second successive victory in the senior division of the 2003 T&T Pro League football season.
Starworld Strikers, coached by the former national captain Everard “Gally” Cummings, will make the trek north to the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo to face defending champs CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh. Starworld Strikers were 2-0 victors over North East Stars in the season opener last Sunday at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella while Jabloteh were held to a 1-1 draw by Joe Public. But Jabloteh could be without the services of former TT captain Travis Mulraine, who was sent off in the encounter at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya.
On Sunday last, Connection edged Defence Force 1-0 at the Ato Boldon Stadium and will return to the Couva venue to face “the Stallions”, Caledonia AIA, who played to a goalless draw against Arima Fire at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar in the first round. Fire will travel to the sister isle to meet Tobago United at the Bon Accord Recreation Facility. Tobago United will field a team which includes the recently-signed trio from St Kitts —- Floyd Hodge, Ian Lake and Alister Warner. And the other second round matchup features North East Stars and debutants South West Institute of Football (SWIF) at the Sangre Grande Recreation Ground. All senior matches will kick off at 4 pm with the U-20 fixtures starting at 2 pm.
STANDINGS –
Under-20 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pl |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
W Connection |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
3 |
Starworld Strikers |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
Arima Fire |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
Joe Public |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
San Juan Jabloteh |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
SWIF |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Tobago United |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Caledonia AIA |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
North East Stars |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
Defence Force |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Senior |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pl |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
Starworld Strikers |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
W Connection |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
Joe Public |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
San Juan Jabloteh |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Arima Fire |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Caledonia AIA |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Defence Force |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
North East Stars |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
SWIF |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tobago United |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
North Zone maintained their winning ways with an easy 44-run victory over North-East in their TTCBC Courts Senior Inter-Zone second round match played at the Prisons Ground, Arouca, on Friday.
Having started with a convincing win over Tobago in the opening round at the NCC ground, Balmain, North Zone won the toss and took full advantage of batting first compiling 164 runs in 37.2 overs. Left-handed Clevon Frederick topscored with 49 (three fours) while Ramesh Ramdeen was undefeated on 30. Brendon De La Rosa captured three wickets for 18 while Lester Hanuman took two for 32 and Vikish Singh two for 24. Despite a solid 39 by Rishi Mannah, North-East folded up for 120 in 36.3 overs.
Francis Joseph of Invincible Club starred in his team’s victory. The Newsday Assignments Editor mesmerised his opponents with his leftarm spinners and bagged two wickets for 16 from his allotted eight-over spell. He was well supported by medium pacer Luke Latiff who grabbed two for 19 and Rasheed Mohammed with three for 30. North Zone will clash with UWI St Augustine Campus team on Friday at the Barataria Oval from 10.30 am. Meanwhile, Exchange’s Steve Sookdeo (53) and Orange Valley Sheffield Sports’ Shane Ramlagan (31) sparked Central Zone to a 50-run victory against the British Gas Under-17 team in their Group “B” first round match played at the National Cricket Centre, Balmain.
Sookdeo slammed eight fours and while Ramlagan counted six delightful boundaries as they posted 103 runs for the second wicket partnership. Milton Sports Vidish Maraj stroked four boundaries in his 31 as Central compiled 189 for nine off the allotted 40 overs. Kastri Singh snapped up three wickets for 32 runs for the British Gas team which were skittled out for 139 off 35 overs. Singh made 17. Black and White Calcutta’s Stephen Sooklal, father of national offspinner Rodney Sooklal, was the main destroyer. Bowling medium pace, Sooklal claimed four wickets for 25 while 15-year-old John Eric Sookdeo, son of topscorer Steve Sookdeo, picked up two for 28.
Superb unbeaten half-centuries by skipper Dinesh Ramdin and Manoj Sirju enabled Presentation College, Chaguanas to rewrite Trinidad and Tobago Secondary Schools cricket history with their fourth PowerGen InterCol title.
The Central Trinidad school, coached by history master Lalman Kowlessar, brought great pride and joy for their merry band of vocal supporters who danced and rejoiced after the emphatic eight-wicket victory over Tranquillity Government Secondary School at Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre on Friday. For the sixth consecutive time Presentation made it to the grand finale and became the first team to win the coveted PowerGen Intercol Trophy four times. It was a most comprehensive victory under floodlights highlighted by the confident and exciting strokeplay of captain Ramdin (63 not out) and wristy Sirju (51 not out).
Set a victory target of 162, Presentation got the required runs with the loss of only two wickets and 7.3 overs to spare. Right-handed Ramdin and left-hander Sirju featured in the match-winning unbroken 138-run third wicket partnership which dashed the hopes of the Tranquillity lads who fought bravely but were outgunned and outclassed by the superior skills and tactics of their quietly-confident opponents. Having won the toss and deciding to take first strike on the easy-paced track, Tranquillity rallied to 161 all out on the final delivery of their allotted 30 overs. Right-handed Petrock Nicholas led the way with an attacking 49, which contained six fours off 52 balls. Skipper Kapil Subran supported with 21 while Colin Ramjohn and Kieron Pollard chipped in with 19 and 15 respectively. Off-spinner Dillon Rampersad was the main-wicket-taker with four for 32 and he copped the “Best Bowler” award.
Although Presentation lost two early wickets, they were rescued and rallied to an historic victory through the brilliance of Ramdin who smashed five scintillating fours and one huge six over extra-cover during his 43-ball innings while Sirju stroked four fours off 59 balls. Before the start of the match, the players were met by Leo Martin (chairman of PowerGen), Garth Chatoor (CEO of PowerGen), Joy Ramlogan (Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs), Alloy Lequay (President of TTCBC), Roy Jagroopsingh (President of the SSCL) and Omar Khan (Corporate Communications Manager of PowerGen). PowerGen have invested over $300,000 annually in secondary schools cricket for the various age-groups (Under-19, 17, 15 and 13) through the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board of Control.
PowerGen InterCol Final Awards
Champions: Presentation College, Chaguanas (Dinesh Ramdin, captain).
Runners-up: Tranquillity Government Secondary School (Kapil Subran, captain).
Best Batsman: Dinesh Ramdin (63 not out off 43 balls) — Presentation College.
Best Bowler: Dillon Rampersad (4 for 32) — Presentation College.
Best Fielder: Mario Belcon (Tranquillity Govt Secondary).
Most Valuable Player: Dinesh Ramdin (63* and two stumpings, two run outs) — Presentation College.
MAUREEN ALLEYNE of Maloney Gardens, D’Abadie, yesterday emerged victorious from a field of 42 in the North/East qualifiers for the Caribbean Aerobics Championship 2.
Alleyne defeated veterans Gerard Richards, 2002 North Zone king and Angela Parris in a keen showdown at the Woodbrook Youth Facility. “I am proud and surprised,” she commented, “because I didn’t expect to qualify for the finals.” Alleyne, who also is involved in promotional efforts for Guiness Stout said: “I placed 10th last year and I was simply trying to qualify among the top ten or the top five.”
Following her strenuous hour-and-11-minutes long routine, the 32-year-old sales assistant of The Boss Stationers said she intends to work on her strength before the Caribbean Aerobics Championships, scheduled for the Jean Pierre Complex, Mucurapo on May 31. A total of 36 competitors qualified yesterday for the regional finals, joining the group of 46 who booked their spots after the South/Central finals at Chaguanas on May 3. Alleyne expressed gratitude to her coaches Kenneth Wave and Ian Lavia of the Trinidad and Tobago Fitness Academy in Cunupia for their work done on her fitness development.
The managing director of Windies World Cup 2007 Inc, Chris Dehring has confirmed that Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad may not be an automatic choice to stage matches during the 2007 World Cup, unless and until there is improvement in the facility.
This would come as a major disappointment for the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board of Control (TTCBC) who are attempting to have a semi-final and even the final of the tournament staged in Port-of-Spain. “No one should think these events are just about sport,” Dehring said after monitoring events in South Africa. “Money only comes into sport because of economic realities and there is tremendous economic value to the Caribbean in the World Cup,” Dehring said.
The Jamaican estimates the economic windfall from tickets, sponsorship, broadcast rights and tourism could amount to US $500 million. A decision on the structure is expected by the end of the year following meetings between Dehring and the ICC, who own the tournament, and the Global Cricket Corporation, which represents television and commercial interests. But the structure is trifling for those island governments and administrators vying for the prize of hosting World Cup matches – governments with generation-old rivalries, personal pride and tourist income to think of. Dehring intends to use this to an advantage. “There is a very political environment in the West Indies,” he said. “We have been trying to use this competition to fuel an innovative spirit. Governments and companies are helping their countries. They are both anxious and excited,” the investment banker noted.
Since West Indies won the bid in 1998, Dehring has had hard truths to convey to the established cricketing powers of Jamaica, Guyana, Trinidad and Barbados which, he says, have invested least precisely because they have not been sufficiently challenged over the years. The set-ups in Bridgetown, Kingston and Georgetown and Port-of-SPain were simply inadequate, while others had developed magnificent new facilities —- islands such as Grenada, Antigua, St Vincent and St Lucia. He praised St Lucia’s new venue as the “most fantastic cricket stadium you could ever imagine.”
The best cricket facilities, he added, would be these four. However, he said his message was getting home and upgrading was underway at several traditional venues. There has also been interest from outside the 14 territories that officially make up West Indies cricket, including the United States, whose presentation impressed Dehring. This brings us back to economics, because the ICC have long sought to break into the lucrative American market or, in Dehring’s words: “The ICC have a vision to spread the gospel (…and) we must be sensitive to the idea.”
The US plan a bespoke stadium in Florida. Suggestions that Disney World could act as hosts are wide off the mark: Disney World are owned by ABC News and ESPN, rival television companies to News Corp, who hold the rights to the World Cup. More fancifully, Canada are interested in staging matches indoors at the Toronto Skydome, outside temperatures in April being too low even for those familiar with the county ground at Derby. Host nations, of course, need not qualify to take part. Venues should be known by next year.
BRIDGETOWN: Courtney Walsh, Test’s cricket most successful bowler with 519 wickets, has lamented the state of the pitches in the Caribbean.
But the former West Indies captain and champion fast bowler says he is willing to assist the emerging fast bowlers in the region. “Obviously, you want to play on good cricket pitches for the sake of cricket, and I think the Caribbean pitches have gone too flat and it is taking away that edge because the bat has been dominating,” Walsh told the Mid-Week Nation. “Bowlers have been getting wickets and doing well still, but the batsmen overall have been dominating,” added Walsh, who answered a call from new coach, Gus Logie, and attended the West Indies’ net practice at the 3Ws Oval on the eve of the Third Test against Australia.
One of the observations Walsh made while watching the current Test series against Australia was that West Indian bowlers needed to maintain good line and length and also to assess pitch conditions. “The consistency has not been as good as they would have liked. Then again, that is inexperience, plus the surface they have been playing on. I don’t think they are assessing it as quickly as they should,” Walsh said. He said he had passed on a few tips to the present West Indian fast bowlers while having a work-out with the team ahead of the Third Test. “You are against the No 1 team in the world so you don’t really have a lot of margin for error. So I’m just trying to get them to tighten up their own game and hope that the team can benefit from that,” Walsh said.
Walsh reiterated his desire to help and said other past cricketers should also come forward to assist Logie, who was a specialist middle-order batsman for Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies. “I spoke to Gus when I was in Trinidad and he said, ‘Feel free to come around and help the guys.’ That is something that you would like to do and like to see happen because I think all of us can or should try to help West Indies cricket,” Walsh said. Walsh said he has seen some encouraging signs among the bowlers but reckons the young fast bowlers need exposure. He is confident West Indies cricket can rise again. “In the next two years, I think we can rise because I am very comfortable and confident with the way the batting is going and the number of batsmen we are seeing coming through.”
ST JOHN’S: Doubts still surrounded the flu-like infection that struck down Australia vice-captain Ricky Ponting and forced him to miss the fourth and final Test against West Indies at the close of the first day’s play on Friday.
Team physio Errol Alcott said Ponting, who made a century in each of the first three Tests against West Indies, had visited local doctors and been put on antibiotics, but that the illness had not been identified. “We’re not quite sure what Ricky has got,” Alcott told reporters. “He’s had headaches, fever, joint aches, sweating and he’s lost his appetite. I think we’ll have to call it a flu-like medical condition. “He probably picked up a bug somewhere in Barbados.” Alcott added that Ponting’s temperature had dropped in the last 24 hours and that he was showing signs of improvement. Ponting had spent five days in bed suffering from flu-like symptoms and his place in the team was taken by Martin Love, who makes his third Test appearance and his first of the series. Australia, 3-0 up and attempting to hand West Indies their first series whitewash at home, were bowled out for 240 in their first innings on Friday.
