Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Work ethic the key - Ganga


Successful Trinidad and Tobago skipper Daren Ganga has pinpointed his team’s work ethic as the reason behind their capture of the WICB Cup one-day title. T&T whipped arch rivals Barbados by seven wickets in the final of the competition on Sunday at the National Stadium at Providence, to emerge with top honours in the nine-team tournament.

“We came here to play cricket and everyone was eager to bring success for our country because that was our objective,” Ganga said. “Our preparation was good. I think we just started the right way and tried and play hard cricket, and I think we deserved this victory. I must say congratulation to all the guys for playing their part in winning this prestigious Cup.”

T&T dismissed Barbados for a modest 142, and then achieved the target with Ganga stroking an unbeaten 48 and Adrian Barath getting 31. Trinidad, who were the losing finalists in last year’s final against Jamaica at the 3Ws Oval in Barbados, again look organized and better equipped to meet the demands of the tournament. With the triumph, they joined Guyana as the teams with nine limited-overs titles since the competition was inaugurated in 1976.

CMC
http://www.cananews.net

T&T U-17 beat Australia U-16


T&T Under-17 team led by a solid knock of 43 by West Indies U-15 captain Steven Katwaroo, cruised to a comfortable eight-wicket-win against the touring Australia U-16 side at the National Cricket Centre in Balmain, Couva, yesterday.

Chasing a victory target of 116, T&T achieved the feat in 25 overs for the loss of two wickets. Katwaroo who led the regional team to victory in the Clico World Cup U-15 Championship earlier this year in the Caribbean, shared an opening stand of 79 with T&T U-19 left-handed batsman Evin Lewis, to lay the foundation for T&T’s easy victory .

Katwaroo’s score came off 74 balls and was fashioned with four fours, while Lewis’ knock of 26 off 41 balls contained five fours.
Katwaroo was later named Player of the Match. Other good scores came from allrounder Yannick Cariah with an unbeaten 20 and skipper Yannick Ottley on 11 not out.

Left-arm spinner Joshua Clarke was the leading bowler for the young Aussies with two for 15. Earlier, the Australians won the toss and opted for first strike. They were restricted to a modest 115 for nine off the allotted 50 overs. The Aussies struggled against the potent spin attack employed by captain Ottley.

Only Bean Smith with a pain-staking 28 off 60 balls with one four and Daron Smith with a swashbuckling run a ball 18 including two sixes offered resistance. Right-arm leg-spinner Cariah (3-15) and pint-sized “mystery” bowler Kissoondath Magram (2-18) two members of the T&T Under-19 team which won the TCL West Indies Cricket Challenge Limited Overs competition against Barbados at Banks Brewery, earlier this year, were the chief wickettakers for the local team.

This was the second match for the Australians in their two-week tour of T&T and Barbados. They won the opening game on Sunday, when they defeated PowerGen Sports Club by six wickets at Syne Village in Penal.

Tomorrow, they will play a Caribbean All Star team in a two-day fixture on the University of the West Indies ground in St Augustine.

Summarised Scores

AT NATIONAL CRICKET CENTRE

Australia Under-16
115-9 (50 overs)
Bean Smith 28,
Daron Smith 18,
Simon Trulorf 14,
Yannic Cariah 3-15,
Kissoondath Magram 2-18

T&T Under-17
119-2 (25 overs)
S Katwaroo 43,
Evin Lewis 26,
Yannic Cariah 20 Not Out:
Yannick Ottley 11
Joshua Clarke 2-15.

T&T won by 8 wkts.


Trinidad Guardian

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Simmons century propels T&T to easy win


GEORGETOWN—Out-of-favour West Indies batsman Lendl Simmons stroked a masterful, undefeated century to guide T&T to an easy nine-wicket win over the Leeward Islands yesterday at Bourda. Set a victory target of 220 after dismissing the opposition for 219 in 42.5 overs of the stipulated 43 overs, T&T reached 221 for one with Simmons stroking an unbeaten 112 from 102 balls.

He smashed slow medium bowler Gavin Tonge straight into the Media Box at the northern end of the ground to fittingly end the one-sided contest. The right-hander, ignored by the West Indies in recent time, slammed 10 fours and four sixes in a brutal display with the bat, while captain Daren Ganga, who belted three fours and one six in 25, remained with him at the end.

Simmons shared an opening stand of 156 with Adrian Barath who slammed 76 from 79 balls before giving his wicket away attempting one big shot too many, and held out to Wilden Cornwall at long-on off Tonito Willett’s bowling. The two openers launched a vicious attack on the Leewards bowlers posting the 100 partnership in 18 overs through some explosive batting. Barath, in particular was severe, hitting Willett for six over square leg.

He raised his half-century off 55 balls, striking three fours and two sixes, while Simmons achieved his off the next delivery with a single. He took 64 balls to attain the landmark and reached the boundary five times. Earlier, morning showers delayed the start of play by one hour and a short drizzle shortly after the match commenced, caused another interruption and forced umpires to reduce the overs to 43.

The Leewards top order batsmen all got good starts, but none of them went on to make a significant score. They were cruising at 204 for four, before Keiron Pollard struck with a hattrick, removing Cornwall (45), Devon Thomas (5) and Justin Athanaze (0), to send the innings into decline.

CMC
http://www.cananews.net

Friday, November 14, 2008

Central Zone cricket executive disbanded


The executive of the Central Zonal Council of the T&T Cricket Board has been disbanded and and a three-man interim committee was appointed by the local board to run the affairs of the zone for the remainder of the term ending September 2009.

This was revealed by CEO and General Secretary of the T&CB, Forbes Persaud, following the board’s monthly executive meeting held last Thursday at the National Cricket Centre in Balmain, Couva. Persaud said that numerous attempts were made by the board to facilitate an amicable resolution to the problem affecting the zone but it proved unsuccessful.

He said that officers and representatives of the zonal council agreed that an arbitrator be appointed to deal with the issue with the arbitrator’s decision to be accepted by all. Persaud said Dr Claude Denbow was appointed arbitrator.

“The executive of the T&TCB at its monthly meeting last Thursday accepted the decisions of Dr Denbow, which stated (a)—An independent committee should be appointed to run the affairs of the zone for the remainder of the term; (b) Members of the present executive should take no further part in the running the affairs of the zone; (c) No persons who was a member of the zone in any period during the past five years, should be a member of the interim committee to run the affairs of the zone. Against this background Samuel Saunders (chairman), Lennox Sankersingh (vice-chairman) and Rambhai Patel (secretary/treasurer) were appointed to form this committee,” Persaud stated.

Patel who is the Administrative Manager of the T&TCB told the Trinidad Guardian that the players and clubs are mostly affected and are the ones that are helpless at the moment. “After serious deliberation and taking everything into consideration—the love and the over 10 years I served as secretary—I just could not turn my back on the zone. I have accepted and will do my utmost in the best interest of the zone. My main concern at the moment is to seek the best interest of the zone for its clubs, players and other stakeholders,” Patel said.

Patel was voted ‘Administrator of the Year’ in 1993 by the T&TCB and in 2002 he was awarded the Humming Bird Silver Medal by the government of the T&T in recognition for his outstanding contribution to cricket and by extension sport.

Former chairman of the zone, Lalman Kowlessar has endorsed the move by the T&TCB to appoint the three-man committee to oversee the affairs of the Central Zonal Council. “It was a necessary step taken by the board to appoint the three-man committee. Within the last four years, Central Zone has witnessed a dramatic decline in the the leadership of the council,” Kowlessar said.

The zone which was headed this season by UNC A County Councillor Narsingh Rambaran, has been riddled with controversy with allegations of misappropriation of funds, among other accusations. When contacted yesterday, Rambaran refused to comment on the matter.


Naz Yacoob
Trinidad Guardian