TTCB – News

Cricket Board chief hails club T20 success
May 30, 2011

CAPTAIN of Queen's Park Justin Guillen prepares to receive the T&T Cricket Board Premiership T20 Festival Trophy from Sports Minister Anil Roberts after the final against PowerGen Sports on Sunday night at Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre.
Photocourtesy T&T Cricket Board

THE resounding success of the 2011 Premiership T20 Festival featuring the best young cricketers in Trinidad and Tobago at Guaracara Park over the past week and a half has been described by president of the T&T Cricket Board Azim a "watershed" in the development of the game locally.

Queen's Park added the T20 crown to the two already in the bag this season when they defeated PowerGen Sports in a pulsating final on Sunday night in a tournament highlighted by bright cricket the innovative use of video technology to engage the public interest.

Bassarath said for the first time in T&T cricket, the entire tournament was broadcast live to homes throughout Trinidad and Tobago by cable channel WI Sports. Fans at the field also had the benefit of video replays on a big screen set up on the eastern end of the ground.

The role of the Third Umpire was also significantly elevated when he was brought into action to adjudicate on decisions referred by the onfield officials. As a result the possibility of an inaccurate call from the umpires was greatly reduced coupled with a decline in controversies that arise when human error is to blame.

The T&TCB also won plaudits from patrons who got a chance to win valuable door prizes of tickets for the upcoming one-off T20 and two One-Day Internationals between West India and India at the Oval in Port-of-Spain next weekend.

The name of the nightly winners were also thrown into a hat at the end of the tournament for an all expenses paid trip to see the same teams in Test match action at the Kensington Oval in Barbados next month.

The T&TCB chief pointed out that the T&TCB had vigorously pursued corporate sponsorship to ensure that attractive prize money was at stake to motivate and reward the cricketers, not only the winners but also those who fell short.

Bassarath said the National Gas Company (NGC), the National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB), Amstel Beer and Gatorade had contributed significantly to the successful staging of the tournament which cost in the region of $750,000.

He said the commitment made by the T&TCB and the sponsors had been more that repaid by the standard of cricket displayed by the Premiership clubs along with the two promoted Championship teams.

While Queen's Park proved their undoubted quality, consistency and strength in every department, several other cricketers made an impression and gave a timely reminder to the National Selectors headed by Dudnath Ramkessoon.

And to add a regional flavour several top cricketers who ply their trade here in T&T boosted their reputations with local fans notably Runako Morton of Nevis, and Barbadians Dwayne Smith and Sulieman Benn playing for champions Queen's Park; Hyatt and Krishmar Sanktokie of Jamaica for First Citizens Clarke Road; Eusan Crandon of Alescon Comets; Guyanese Homchand Pooran (Clarke Road) and Mahendra Nagamootoo (Moosai Sports) and Kevin Stoute of Barbados for T&TEC.

Cricket fans attending the nine-day competition on the flood-lit Guaracara Park stage were also high in praise of the T&T Cricket Board for the smooth and efficient ruling of the tournament.

In their opinion the Cricket Board had done a lot to re-establish the public's faith in the game as the most popular in T&T as shown by the level of interest by the public and the enthusiastic participation of the teams.