Hillview beat Shiva Boys to win third straight title

HILLVIEW College made it a hat-trick of titles in the PowerGen Secondary Schools Cricket League 50-over premiership division, with a massive victory in the penultimate round of the 2019 edition, yesterday.

Hillview maintained its perfect season with a 117-run win over Shiva Boys Hindu College at the Sir Frank Worrell Cricket Ground, University of the West Indies, St Augustine. Hillview scored 217 for seven in 43 overs batting first, before dismissing Shiva Boys for 100 in 30.2 overs to seal the win and the title. Hillview got 19 points from the match and now have an unassailable lead in the eight-team standings with one round remaining.

The school became the first school to win a hat-trick of titles in the competition. On the achievement Hillview coach Richard Kelly said, “We created history in the Secondary Schools Cricket League.”

Kelly said his team was a cohesive unit during the season.

“Throughout the whole season they worked together like a band of brothers – working hard and supporting each other all the way and that is the core of the success story,” Kelly said.

Hillview lost seven players from the team that won the 2018 title, but still managed to win the title again. Kelly believes next year may be a challenging, so he said his team will celebrate this crown. “From next year, it is going to be more of a rebuilding process, so right now we have to enjoy the moment because it does not come around all the time.”

The Hillview coach said the more experienced players assisted the younger ones which helped the school win the crown.

“Having lost so many players last year we had some younger ones coming in and the players like Navin Bidaisee, (Kirstan) Kallicharan, Leonardo Julien and Ronaldo Forrester had to lend a hand and support the youngsters. We also had Jean Phillipe Barrie – he was fantastic throughout the season.”

Kelly said the team will look ahead to the PowerGen Intercol T20 tournament later this season, a title the school won for the past two years.

Yesterday, Hillview got a lot of contributions with Julien top scoring with 46, Kallicharan cracking 40, Teron Jadoo hitting 39 and Andy Mahase pitching in with 33 not out to guide Hillview past 200. Nicholas Ali was the best bowler for Shiva Boys taking 3/55 and Rohan Singh snatched 2/41. In reply, spinner Bidaisee (5/14) and fast bowler Barrie (4/31) combined to take nine wickets to help bundle out Shiva Boys for 100.

SUMMARISED SCORES

Hillview College 217/7 (43 overs) (Leonardo Julien 46, Kirstan Kallicharan 40, Teron Jadoo 39, Andy Mahase 33 not out; Nicholas Ali 3/55, Rohan Singh 2/41) vs Shiva Boys 100 (30.2 overs) (Navin Bidaisee 5/14, Jean-Phillipe Barrie 4/31) Hillview won by 117 runs

Farima College 139 (Michael Ambard 54; Joel Sutherland 2/10, Isaiah Ali 2/26) vs Presentation College, Chaguanas 140/4 (Aaron Bankay 64, Aneil Pitiram 22, Isaiah Ali 21) Presentation won by six wickets

Naparima College 280/6 (50 overs) (Kyle Roopchand 63, Jevon George 48 not out, Avinash Mahabirsingh 45 not out, Cephas Cooper 42; Nicholas Kanhai 2/33) vs Vishnu Boys Hindu College 154 (44 overs) (Leonardo Francis 35, N Kanhai 21; A Mahabirsingh 2/15, Mathew Cooper 2/11, Darren Samlal 2/16) Naparima won by 126 runs

Barrackpore West 250 (Dillon Jugmohan 46, Aakash Dhanraj 36, Aleem Mohammed 31; Mbeki Joseph 4/71, Aaron Nanan 2/24) vs St Benedict’s College 251/7 (Antonio Gomez 63, Shaquelle Cyrus 40 not out, Paris Jugmohan 2/37, D Jugmohan 1/35) St Benedict’s won by three wickets