LOCAL CRICKET ROUND-UP
May 12th 2009

Former national players in spotlight in championship division

Several former national cricketers held the spotlight in the important Round Seven in the T&T Cricket Board’s North and South Championship matches which were contested throughout the country at the weekend.

In the feature attraction in the North, former T&T youth captain Sarran Coonai had a match-haul of 13 wickets for 156 runs for Sweet Revenge against Queen’s Park at the Oval.

However, the 55-year-old left-arm spinner effort was not good enough as his team went under to the ‘Parkites’ on first innings in the drawn encounter.

The ambidextrous Richard Sieuchan, a former senior national allrounder had figures of six for 20 and scored 65 runs to lead Woodland Sports to first innings points against Couva Sports.

Also in the spotlight were the Deosarran’s cousins, Krishna and Surujpaul both of whom scored centuries for Caldrac Sports against F&E Diamond United at Kennedy Park in Diamond.

Krishna made an elegant 152 and Surujpaul an unbeaten 132 in Caldrac’s mammoth total of 403-5 declared. The duo shared in a record fifth wicket stand of 240 runs.

Also among the century makers were Keon Isaac (113) for UTT, Krishna Arjune (158) for Bamboo Sports and Fareed Hosein (117) for Couva Sports. Bowlers with five-wicket hauls included Garrette Boodhai (6-30) and Raffick Hosein (6-56).

North Championship - Summarised Scores

AT O’MEARA: UTT 352-4 dec. (Keon Isaac 113 not out, Usman Mohammed 81) & 152-3 dec. v Defence Force 223 & 129-3. Match drawn. UTT 18 pts, D Force 5.

AT BARATARIA OVAL: Felicity Invaders 314 & 130-7 dec. v Barataria Ball Players 184 & 192-6. Match drawn. Invaders 10 pts, Barataria 10.

AT QP OVAL: Queen’s Park 192 (Brian Yearwood 52, Sarran Coonai 7-68) & 186-8 dec. (Brian Yearwood 49, Nicholas Alexis 44, Petrock Nicholas 50, Sarran Coonai 6-88) v Sweet Revenge 115 (Garette Boodhai 6-30, Akiel Hosein 3-30) & 152-6. Match drawn. Q Park 16 pts, S Revenge 10.

AT ARANGUEZ: Bamboo Sports 411-8 dec. (Krishna Arjune 158, Ancil Bhagan 4-77) v British/American Aranguez Sports 366 (Safraz Lalloo 68, Javed Boodram 54, Hospedales Singh 3-44). Match drawn. Bamboo 17 pts, Aranguez 10.

AT ST JAMES: Police Sports 270 (Amarnath Basdeo 87, Lance Lezama 48, Selvin Jacobs 4-35, Manniram Jaglal 2-96) v Best Motor Spoilers 323 (Balraj Ragoo 107, Param Rampersad 70, Kemraj Malloo 53, Amir Khan 4-120). Match drawn. Spoilers 16 pts, Police 9.

South Championship - Summarised Scores

AT KENNEDY PARK: Caldrac 403-5 dec. (Krishna Deosarran 154, Surujpaul Deosarran 132 not out) v F&E Diamond United 188 (Daniel St Clair 4-32) & 145-9 (Daniel St Clair 3-36). Match drawn. Caldrac 22 pts, Diamond 5.

AT SAN F’DO: Calcutta Sports 162 (Randy Ramnanan 45, Lyndon Patterson 3-39) & 261-9 (Ahmed Mohammed 50, Deonauth Baksh 76, Rakesh Goberdhan 56) v Valiants 179 (Ahmed Mohammed 3-19). Match drawn. Valiants 18 pts, Calcutta 11.

AT COUVA: Couva Sports 67 (Richard Sieuchan 6-20, Hansraj Persad 2-1) & 400-8 dec. (Fareed Hosein 117, Dinesh Dass 63) v Woodland 289 (Richard McCleod 43, Andre Browne 57, Richard Sieuchan 65, Stephen Ramkissoon 45). Match drawn. Woodland 18 pts, Couva 11.

AT PLUCK ROAD: Victoria Sports 218 (Satyam Tam 51, Keno Mason 37, Rajindra Dhanraj 30, David Sultan 3-47, Zayd Mohammed 3-68) & 83-5 v Evergreen 217 Zayd Mohammed 70, Kevin Bissoondath 48, Raffick Hosein 6-56, Kavesh Kantasingh 2-36). Match drawn. Victoria 14 pts, Evergreen 9.

Nur-E-Islam wins TML final

Defending champions Nur-E-Islam Jamaat successfully retained the 2009 TML / R. Khan Trading / Eniaths Printing Co Ltd. windball cricket title against an inept Endeavour Jamaat team in front of a packed crowd, last weekend, at St Joseph.

Nur-E-Islam played unbeaten throughout the competition and copped the coveted TML / R. Khan Trading / Eniaths Printing Co Ltd. challenge trophy, plus $5000.00 in cash courtesy R. Khan Trading.

Endeavour Jamaat won the toss and elected to bat and could only muster 69 all out in their alloted 12 overs with captain Fazil Baksh of Comets being the top scorer with 20 runs.

In Nur-E-Islam's turn at the crease they were under no pressure and easily paced themselves to victory for the lost of only one wicket, with ‘Man of the Match’ Ariz Khan hitting a brisk 27 runs.

Endeavour hardly helped themselves with strike bowler Amir Nabbie being called five times for ‘throwing’.

Also victorious was host St. Joseph TML Jamaat in the 'Best of the Rest' competition.

TML won the toss and asked the Islamic Dawah Movement (IDM) to take first strike and with some good bowling dismissed IDM for 39. At their turn at the crease, TML powered themselves to 41 without loss with three overs to spare.

Reaz Mohammed of TML made an unbeaten 24 which took his tally to 185 runs which easily won him the ‘Most Valuable Player’ of the tournament award.

Other notable winners were Jamaat-al-Muttaqeen of Calcutta with the prestigious ‘Most Disciplined Team’ award, the Islamic Missionaries Guild (IMG) 3rd place award, IMG's Nazar Mohammed coping the ‘Most Promising Player’ award.

Earlier the sponsors of the competitions treated all spectators with lots of giveaways, footballs and world cup books courtesy Eniath's Printing, kids cereal courtesy Nestle Trinidad Ltd., snacks by Chief Brand Products, energy drinks and novelty items by Lucozade, soft drinks and hampers by SM Jaleel and Co. Ltd., prayer mats courtesy India Fashions, household items by IAM and Co. Ltd., windball bats by Ojar Wholesalers and hampers courtesy Happy Products.

Klondykes windball bowls off May 24

The Annual Klondykes Wind Ball Cricket competition will get underway May 24 at the Aranjuez Savannah. Approximately $20,000 in prize monies will be at stake in this year’s tournament. Deadline date for entries is May 17. Teams interested in participating in this year’s competition can contact Visham Narine 725/4856 or Richard Ramoutar 372/3024.