North-South cricket will make a return to the T&T cricket calender on Friday as Vasha's Foods Ltd has given a cheque worth $50,000 to re-introduce this classic that has produced top national cricketers in the past.
After an absence of more than five years, the North-South classic will return at the National Cricket Centre in Couva on Friday with the North Under-17 team playing the South U-17 in a 50-over match from 2.30 pm. This will be followed by the U-19 North-South match on May 25 and the U-15 match on May 28. An U-13 North-South match and a Senior North-South match will also be contested later on this year. The tentative date for the Senior match is December.
At the National Cricket Centre yesterday T&T Cricket Board president Azim Bassarath was looking forward to the return of North-South cricket."In these games two teams, consisting of the best age group players in the country, will match skills with each other, ramping up the quality displayed at Inter Zone games.
"It is expected that at each stage the cricket will be better, creating opportunities for managers, coaches and selectors to closely examine the players, search for strengths and weaknesses and assist in the positive development of our young cricketers.
Bassarath reflected on the history of the North-South classic. "The fact that there is healthy history behind the North-South rivalry is well known. Our domestic North/South Seniors match, called the Beaumount Cup, began in 1925-26 and was granted First Class Status in 1958."Over the years, using different formats, the competition was extended and re-named, losing its first class status in 1985. Among some of these names were the Texaco Cup, The Trintoc Trophy and the Gerry Gomez Memorial.
Bassarath added: "Let me in closing thank all those who contributed to this return of North-South cricket especially Vasha's Foods Ltd, without whom this would not have been possible. We look forward with keen interest to our top youth cricketers engaging in high-level, intense but friendly rivalry on the playing field.
Vimal Chickoree, sales and marketing manager at Vasha's Foods Ltd was happy to lend assistance. Chickoree said: "Vasha is extremely pleased to be instrumental in the re-introduction of our North-South encounters to the cricketing calender. Over the years these battles have brought a lot of excitement and interest to the sport."He added: "Cricket is a national pastime and at Vasha's we want our foods to become a national tradition, so what better way to do this than to partner with the sport that has given so much to the country."