The club 50-over tournament is back after a year in the wilderness, as national league clubs will trade their whites for coloured uniforms and white balls to usher in the T&T Cricket Board (TTCB) competition across the country.
Today, 12 matches will be played at various venues with Premiership top level teams coming up against Premiership North and South teams. Last season, the TTCB did not allow the clubs to play in the 50-over tournament, citing financial problems.
The tournament was taken to the zonal councils, which was a success but on the downside, many players did not get a chance to play. Now, with the clubs allowed to play by themselves again, a greater number of players will have the opportunity to compete.
Central Sports, one of the top clubs on the domestic circuit, will come up against newcomer EYM at Felicity. In the opening round of the Premiership two-day competition last week, Central Sports won easily and they will want to continue that dominance today.
Queen’s Park Cricket Club (QPCC) I will battle hosts Munroe Road and will be looking to get off to a good start, especially given the fact that they lost its opening match of the two-day tournament against PowerGen last weekend. QPCC II will come up against Aranguez and they will be hoping to get one on their Northern counterparts.
PowerGen makes the trip to Preysal, a storied village when it comes to local cricket, and it will be hoping that it can keep the home team in check. Another mouth-watering clash is between Alescon Comets and Victoria at Pierre Road. A good crowd is expected to show, to see this clash as Comets have a good following.
All matches get underway at 10 am.
Today’s matches
Munroe Road vs QPCC I, Munroe Road
QPCC II vs Aranguez, Aranguez
Defence Force vs Merry Boys, Chaguaramas
Central Sports vs EYM, Felicity
Cane Farm vs Curepe, Crown Street
UWI vs Prisons, UWI SPEC, St Augustine
Comets vs Victoria, Pierre Road
Endeavour vs BFL, Endeavour
Orangefield vs Caldrac, Orangefield
Clarke Road vs Nazarites, Wilson Road
Yorkshire vs Tableland, Cunjal
PowerGen vs Preysal, Preysal
Plan for succession cricket clubs told
Tabaquite MP and management expert Dr Surujrattan Rambachan has advised leading cricket club officials that succession planning is crucial to their attainment of excellence.
He made the point at a recent Club Development seminar organised by the Princes Town Regional Corporation (PTRC) under the initiative of Alderman Azim Bassarath.
Dr Rambachan, a former Local Government Minister, said that leaders must be willing to displace themselves on the administrative ladder to ensure the growth and development of the club, their community and the game of cricket.
“One must be prepared to be selfless and not selfish,” he said to a packed hall at the PTRC in the heart of the bustling commercial town last Saturday. Dr Rambachan said the reason for having a club was to promote human development, not only within the organisation but in the communities where they operate.
He also advised the participants, representing scores of cricket clubs in the geographical jurisdiction of the PTRC, that administrators must also have a sound philosophy and vision which are shared with their members.
Dr Rambachan pointed out that another crucial component in realising a club’s objectives is accurately assessing a member’s strengths and weaknesses as each person are different with unique characteristics.
He told the attentive audience in the interactive discourse that transformation through the pursuit of human and holistic development can be greatly boosted with a proper balance of sports and academics.
The former Minister of Works and Development said it was also important for clubs to engage the community in their activities.
He said that as a minister he oversaw the construction of 37 pavilions in community recreation grounds around the nation which included office space equipped with appliances where meetings could be held.
Dr Rambachan said that two employees persons were also employed at each facility to ensure its proper maintenance but lamented that this initiative has not been sustained by the present administration.
“Communication is also key to administrative success. Conversation leads to conversion. Successful leaders must be persistent and use powerful images to get their message across such as on social and mainstream media,” said Dr Rambachan, who added that setting goals which are measurable and sustainable are also crucial in attaining the highest standards in any organisation.
“Don’t be afraid to conceptualise ideas and present proposals even to the most unlikely audiences.”
NFM’s command performance outfits umpires
President of the T&T Umpires and Scorers’ Council (TTUSC) Parasram Singh has expressed his appreciation to the National Flour Mills (NFM) for their timely sponsorship for this year’s TTCB cricket season.
Singh recently met with Kevon Fields, brand manager of NFM at the company’s Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain head office to discuss details of the arrangement in which the umpires will be branded “Command Performance” umpires.
Command Performance is the latest top-quality brand of pet food on the local market which has added to the NFM’s list of products already household names including a wide range flour and its derivatives, rice, cooking oil, baking powder, yeast, icing sugar, wheat bran, various types of animal feed and even packaged ginger tea.
Singh collected a batch of monogrammed jerseys and caps which he said will outfit the umpires who will be officiating in the Premiership Division of the TTCB competitions which recently got underway involving the top cricket clubs in T&T.
“I am extremely happy to receive on behalf of the Umpires and Scorers’ Council this timely sponsorship by the National Flour Mills. I want to give you the assurance that the umpires will wear the NFM logo with pride and maintain the highest standards on the field and bring pride to the NFM for their show of corporate responsibility,” said Singh.
The recently elected third vice-president of the TTCB told Fields that T&T umpires are among the best in the Caribbean with Joel Wilson appointed to the ICC Elite Panel and Peter Nero, the chairman of the Cricket West Indies Training and Examinations Council.
He also told the NFM brand manager that currently Zahid Bassarath and DaneshRamdhanie are among the leading regional umpires who are on the verge of being called up for international duty.
“Local umpires, both male and female, are being recruited on an ongoing basis and are trained to take their responsibilities very seriously as opportunities are now opened up for them to earn a good living in cricket,” said Singh.
He said that recently the TTUSC completed a training programme for inmates at the Golden Grove Prison in conjunction with the Prisons Service which was very successful. He said the graduates can look forward to completing practical training on their re-entry into society as part of their rehabilitation.
Rambarran again as South East U-15s win again
East Zone romped to its second consecutive victory in the TTTCB Under-15 tournament on Wednesday, defeating North Zone by four wickets on the Prisons Service ground in Arouca.
Runners-up in the competition last year, the Easterners restricted North to 139 for five wickets in their allotted 50 overs and in their turn at the crease cruised to their target, reaching 140 for six in just 35 overs to comfortably pocket full points.
The winners, who beat North East in the first round of the competition last week, were indebted to a fine all-round performance by Andrew Rambaran whose invaluable 54 in the run chase complemented his two wickets for 30 runs in ten overs against the visitors.
Kavir Boodoosingh also had an outstanding match taking two wickets for 16 runs in his ten overs which included three maidens and then chipped in with 29 while Andre Suglal grabbed two for 20 in nine overs as North Zone struggled to notch a competitive score.
Also making a good contribution with the bat for East Zone was Verran Batchu who contributed 24 to the winning total.
For North Zone, Kyle Ramdoo held his own against the tight East bowling smashing an undefeated 63 but he got limited support from teammates Arshad Harrilal (19) and Damarie Mitchell (16).
Ramdoo returned to take one wicket for six runs in six overs with three maidens, and Rahul Lakhan got one for 18 in five overs when East batted.
In another second-round match, South East Zone continued its winning ways with another emphatic victory, this time against Central on the Monroe Road Sports Club ground in Cunupia, winning by 131 runs.
Following its win against South West last week, South East, taking first-knock, compiled 183 for the loss of eight wickets in their 50 overs and then underlined their bowling prowess by bundling out Central on their home ground for a paltry 52 in just ten overs.
Romario King made a top score of 78 and together with Nickyle Jalim (33) and Hayden John (27) ensured South East posted a solid total against Central whose batting crumbled against the bowling of Brian Williams (five wickets for nine runs), Nickyle John, and Rahul John who both had identical bowling figures of two for 12.
The only bright spot for Central Zone was the bowling of Luke Ali with two wickets for 32 runs when South East batted.
In the first round, Central defeated South by nine wickets.