Tunapuna Pres, Bon Air Govt win Block-Up finals

TUNAPUNA Presbyterian had a mixed day yesterday in the finals of the 35th annual Block-Up Incorporated Inter-Primary School cricket competition, at the National Hockey Centre, Tacarigua.

Tunapuna Presbyterian defeated St Mary’s Anglican by 46 runs in the final of the boys’ category. Earlier, Bon Air Government defeated Tunapuna Presbyterian by 20 runs in the girls’ decider.

The day’s proceedings got off to a delayed start due to a heavy outfield, caused by heavy rainfall on Sunday.

In the girls’ final, Bon Air Government posted a score of 83 runs for four wickets in 10 overs. Lilian Craig top-scored with 21 runs and Taneka Hunte contributed 11. Abigail Segobin was the leading wicket-taker for Tunapuna Presbyterian with two wickets for 14 runs.

In response, Tunapuna Presbyterian were restricted to 63/4 in their allotted overs, with extras leading the way with 20 – 10 wides (the wides counted as double on the scoreboard). Segobin was the highest scorer with nine.

The Tunapuna Presbyterian’s boys team, in the second game of the double-header, posted 89/5 off 12 overs with Jonah Mohammed hitting 27 and Javon Rajkumar 16. Josiah Bhim and Jeremiah Lord each claimed 1/13 for St Mary’s Anglican.

In their turn at the crease, St Mary’s were bowled out for 53 in the final over, with Rajkumar taking five wickets for 11 runs. Lord made 16 and Kashiff Prout 11 in a losing cause.

Sherpa Hanooman, a teacher at Tunapuna Presbyterian and a member of their technical staff, praised organisers and his title-winning team.

“The 2018 boys team have been successful in several competitions. (In) Block-Up, this has been about the 15th year that we have been participating. We’ve been in (at least) the quarter-finals. This team has been a well all-round team, a disciplined team and I’m grateful they had this forum. I’ll congratulate the organisers for continuing to support the primary school cricketers. The boys deserve this victory. They worked hard,” he ended.

Tournament co-ordinator Farouk Deonarine said, “We were not sponsored this year but things went pretty okay.”

Deonarine added, “The tournament was well supported by parents, by teachers, the principals and the Ministry of Education. We’re hoping to get their support in the coming years.”

According to the tournament co-ordinator, “The tournament was keenly contested and well-participated. We use this tournament as a nursery for the young, budding cricketers in the East/West corridor to move up to Under-13, Under-15 etcetera.”

Deonarine listed a few persons who graduated from this competition and have earned selections on national and West Indies teams, including TT Red Force players Isaiah Rajah, Ewart Nicholson and Tion Webster, Andrew Rambarran (current WI Under-15 player) and Samir Saroop (current WI Under-13 player).