Alexis wins 'Phil Thompson' award

Nicholas Alexis, a 17-year-old student of St Mary’s College, won the ‘Phil Thompson’ award, which goes to the most promising young player in the club. The Queen’s Park Cricket Club (QPCC) gives this award to the person who demonstrates the discipline and prowess in all aspects of his sport and in his approach to all other facets of his developing life and personality.

Alexis scored 347 championship runs and represented T&T in the Under-19 competition in Jamaica in July/August. This was one of the highlights of the end of season awards presentation and dinner of the QPCC at the Century Ballroom at the Queen’s Park Oval last Friday evening. Present were a wide cross section of the club’s membership and many parents of the budding champions. Dane Darbasie, management member, started the evening by proclaiming the annual club dinner a celebration of excellence and necessary to maintain the spirit and noble traditions of the club, one of the oldest and most successful in the Caribbean.

QPCC started in 1891 to promote tennis and cricket and after five years in a ‘tent in the Queen’s Park Savannah’, the club moved down to its present quarters and developed it from a modest playing field into what was described by the late John Arlott as one of the most beautiful cricket grounds in the world. What makes QPCC great and makes each member proud to be a ‘Parkite’, is the level of member participation and the aura of inclusiveness in all aspects of club life. The season was a successful one with many of the ‘Parkites’ being selected on national and international teams in various age groups.

In addition to Dwayne Bravo, who has already been an established and successful West Indies player, there emerged his younger brother, Darren, who found his way into the national and West Indies teams, as well as playing some really sparkling innings for the club in local competition. Speaking as club captain and an example of the young brigade in the club, Justin Guillen, who literally grew up in the Oval, demonstrated the purposefulness of youth when he acknowledged that he had come a long way but that there was still much further to go. The evening was carried by the deft and delightful touch of the Parkites’ cricket administrator, Bryan Davis, himself a man who grew up in the Oval and went on to represent West Indies when the Windies were a power in world cricket.

The Awards

Five Cricketers of the Year:
■ Marlon Barclay
21-year-old opening batsman.

■ Darren Bravo
20-year-old left-handed middle order batsman.

■ Runako Morton
30-year-old middle order batsman.

■ Rishaad Harris
23-year-old opening bowler.

■ Amit Jaggernauth
25-year-old off-spinner.

The Youth Cricketer of the Year
Anthony Balgobin, 20-year-old wicket-keeper.

The Youth Personality of the Year
Nicholas Alexis

Everard Gordon
Trinidad Guardian