LOCAL CRICKET ROUND-UP
May 6th 2009

Lara - an inspiration to the youth of Penal

President of the Penal Sports Association Leo Doodnath has hailed Brian Lara as a “true inspiration to the youth of the nation and one whose character is indeed worthy of emulation.”

Doodnath was at the time addressing qualifying teams for the “Big Sixteen Play Offs” of the Association’s Sunday League Competition. The gathering took place on Tuesday at the Association’s head quarters at City Centre Mall in Penal.

Doodnath stated that the association must be more focused on the involvement of the youths.

“All of our youth players are inspired by players like Lara. They all want to be like Lara. They see themselves as Laras. They call themselves Lara. So that we must use this Laramania as it were, to further promote and further expand and further develop our cricket.” Doodnath told the gathering. The batting genuis celebrated his 40th birthday last Saturday.

An elated Doodnath stated that “like Lara, the Penal Sports Association is also forty years of age, and that though his exploits in cricket far exceeds the boundaries of their Minor League, the association must never under estimate the value of what is done here in Penal and environs, and just like him, in terms of the growth and development and sustinence of cricket in T&T.

The Penal Sports Association, highly regarded as the most vibrant Minor League in the country, has been involved in the organising of cricket competitions among its affiliated clubs since 1969.

This year 2009, thirty two teams were accepted into the Sunday League Competition. They were placed into four groups of eight teams each and were engaged in a round robin competition.

The Penal Sports Association is actively involved in the organising of competitions at the Under 16 and Under 19 levels as well.

A youth competition will be named after Lara in the coming season. The 10th of 11 children, Lara learnt his game at the Harvard Coaching Clinic, where he was enrolled at the age of six, and although at school he played for T&T's junior football and table tennis side, it was cricket which really drew him.

Court’s Inter-Zone bowls off today

Defending champions South-East will enjoy home advantage against Central at Cunjal Road in Barrackpore, when the 2009 edition of the Courts Inter-Zone tournament bowls off today at venues in North, East and South Trinidad.

This is the seventh year of Court’s sponsorship of the 40-over competition and an official opening is carded for Honeymoon Park in El Dorado, from 9.30 am.

Today’s opening wil be attended by President of the T&TCB, Deryck Murray, CEO and General Secretary Forbes Persaud and Managing Director of Courts T&T Limited, Errol Le Blanc.

In other matches on today, East and North-East will clash at Honeymoon Park, North will host Tobago at the Barataria Oval and South and South-West will square-off at Syne Village in Penal.

Play starts at 10.30am and will be off 40 overs per-side.

Lucozade Sport windball tourney on

The Lucozade Sport Night Windball Cricket Competition bowled off last month at the St George’s Ground.

Twenty-three teams have registered to compete for the $10,000 and $7,000 prizes in the Men’s and Women’s Divisions respectively.

Regarded as one of the major night competitions in the country, the tournament will continue for the next seven weeks with action taking place every night.

May 3 Results

Slammers 43/7 (12) (Natasha Walker 16 not out, Diana Beddoe 2-11, Lecia Harripersad 3-7) Caldrac – 44/2 (7.1) (Sharmella Gokool 11, Diana Beddoe 12, Sharla Lewis 2-5)

Genesis – 109/9 (15)(Justin Mungroo 30, Clarence Holder 15, Mikhail Bharat 10, Kevin Baptiste 12, Ruben Adams 2-18, Peter Rowe 2-19, Emanuel James 2-13, Nigel Hitlal 2-9) v Paradigm Windball Cricket Club 98(15)(Nigel Hitlal 27, Marlon Bhim 10, Damian James 15, Sudarshan Hosein 2-15, Kevin Baptiste 2-11).

RBTT supports 26th Annual Block Up tournament

Block Up Incorporated Primary Schools Windball tournament was officially launched last Tuesday at the National Hockey Centre Tacarigua. This is the 26th year that the Curepe based organisation will be holding the event which is sponsored by RBTT and will cater for approximately 45 schools from the St George East Education District.

The competition consists of a league, a knockout, and a big four competition, and is open to boys and girls and will run for the next six weeks.

RBTT San Juan branch manager Deborah Baboolal reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to support the communities in which it operates and to help build skills among young people.

“RBTT’s commitment to youth development remains unchanged. Our responsibility as corporate citizen is not only about how we spend money but how we manage our financial, social and environmental performance. We still value our ability to contribute to the communities around us, particularly, when it involves developing skills in young people,” she said.