Inter Zone U-15 cricket semis today

EAST Zone cricketers, runners-up last year, are brimming with confidence as they eye a place in the final of the 2019 TT Cricket Board’s Under-15 Inter Zone 50-Over competition.

The semifinal round gets going today when East play Central Zone in one of the feature match-ups from 9.30 am at the National Cricket Centre ground in Balmain, Couva.

In the other last four contest, the impressive South East team comes up against North Zone at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, also from 9.30 am.

Last week, Central ramped up their claim for the title defeating South West by 147 runs, making 214 all out in 48 overs and then tumbling their opponents out for 73 in 27.4 overs.

For Central, Terrell Coombs top-scored with 33 and Justin Jagessar made 27 while for South West, Avinash Singh took four wickets for 20 runs, and Cameron Mohammed grabbed 2/20.

When South West batted, Joel Agard offered the only resistance with a well-played 34, but Central bowlers (Alexander Chase 3/13), Akshat Bhalekar (2/4), Tommy Walsh (2/9) and Brandon Deonarine (2/19) wreaked havoc.

In another third round match, East Zone beat Tobago by 111 runs to book their place in the semifinals, slamming 209 mainly on batting from Kavir Boodoosingh and Verran Batchu who both scored 65 while Andre Suglal contributed 21 and Abdul Raheem Toppin made 18. For Tobago, Josh Telemaque took 2/29, while Orlando James and Akel Quashie took one apiece.

In their run chase the boys from the sister isle were bundled out for 98 in 37.4 overs with Telemaque making 29, and James 15 as Andrew Rambaran snapped up 5/16 in seven overs, and East top-scorer Boodoosingh returned to take 2/14. In qualifying for the semi-finals, East were winners of Group A and will play Central, runners-up in Group B; while South East were winners of Group B and come up against North, runners-up in Group A.