T&T U-19 beats young Africans
January 15th 2009

T&T Under-19 team led by a swashbuckling unbeaten 89 from allrounder Yannic Cariah registered a comfortable 60-run win against the visiting East Rand Cricket Academy of South Africa, here on Monday.

In the second match of a three-week tour by the Africans at the National Cricket Centre in Balmain, Couva, T&T batted first in the contest which was reduced to 25 overs per-side because of rain and tallied a respectable 149 for six.

Cariah’s innings of 74 balls included five fours and received good support from Akiel Cooper who made 35.

Skipper Mark Robey with two for 17 was the top bowler for East Rand. In response, the visitors were restricted to 89 for eight from their allotted overs.

Ulright Van Duyker top scored with an unbeaten 25, while Yannick Ottley (3-8) and Javed Boodram (2-19) were the top bowlers for the home team. Meanwhile, former West Indies Under-19 middle-order batsman Jason Mohammed has been appointed captain of Trinidad and Tobago’s Under-23 team for Tuesday’s crucial match against the East Rand Cricket Academy at the Queen’s Park Oval.

The young South Africans arrived in Trinidad last Thursday and played their opening match against the University of the West Indies (UWI) in a 50-over contest at the Sir Frank Worrell Grounds on Saturday. Rand won by the game by two wickets.

Mohammed played for the West Indies in the 2006 ICC Youth (U19) World Cup in Pakistan, and other senior T&T nationals, opening batsman William Perkins and left-arm spinner Rishi Bachan, who were also part of that West Indies U19 set-up, are in the T&T U 23 squad as well.

Promising 17-year-old all-rounder Cariah, who played for the North team in the just concluded Gerry Gomez Memorial Classic against South, is also named in the 14-member squad which will be managed by Chaitram Ranjitsingh and coached by Clem Hercules.

Ranjitsingh said that it is a historic occasion in Trinidad, since it is the first time that a South African youth team is visiting this country.

He said that his team is looking to come out on top against the tourists. “ The team is packed with an abundance of young talent. We were in a camp for seven week-ends and the guys are looking forward for this series. The guys are well prepared and organised and waiting for the opportunity to show off their worth,” Ranjitsingh said.

Yesterday’s scores

AT NATIONAL CRICKET CENTRE: T&T Under 19 149-6 (25 overs) (Yannic Cariah 89 not out, Akiel Cooper 35, Mark Robey 2-17) v East Rand Academy 89-8 (25 overs) (Ulright Van Duyker 25 not out, Yannick Ottley 3-8, Javed Boodram 2-19). T&T won by 60 runs.

TEAMS:

East Rand Academy: Mark Robey (captain), Andrew Kirkland (vice-captain), Ulright Van Duyker, Dwayne Araujo, David Powles, Edward Scheuder, Jason Smith, Devesh Jagwant, Darryn de Kock, Graeme Smith, Levon Shields, Alvino Naidoo, George Hoddmott, Eugene Welgemoed.
Manager - Ian Smith. Coach - Kenward Powles.

T&T U23s – Jason Mohammed (captain), Mario Belcon, William Perkins, Franklyn Rouse, Daron Cruickshank, Kervon Cooper, Anthony Balgobin, Rishi Bachan, Rishaad Harris, Shannon Gabriel, Dane Teelucksingh, Yannic Cariah, Kjorn Ottley, Visham Ramroop.
Manager: Chaitram Ranjitsingh: Coach: Clem Hercules.