Central Zone cricket success praised

THE emergence of Central Zone as a potent force in national youth cricket this season does not come as a great surprise to the zone's former chairman Manohar Ramsaran.

In fact, Ramsaran says the recent success of the zone's age group teams in this season's Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board's competitions is no fluke but comes as a result of tremendous work by administrators and coaches.

He has also highlighted the crop of talented cricketers from the Under-13 to Under-19 levels as well as the contribution made by dedicated parents in ensuring that the youngsters have the best platform to excel.

Central Zone has already this year captured both the TTCB Under-15 and Under-17 tournaments and is in the final of the Under-13 competition on Thursday when they play East Zone.

The Central boys have also qualified for the semi-finals of the Under-19 tournament and have a realistic chance of making a clean sweep of the four major age-group titles at stake in local cricket.

"The exciting results we are seeing is a testament to the groundwork being done by Central Zone chairman Altaf Baksh and his competent team of administrators, who despite great challenges, have been ushering a culture of success," he said. Ramsaran is a former minister of sport and apart from being on the national executive of the TTCB is president of the Monroe Road Sports Club and is also an advisor to Udecott chairman Noel Garcia with specific responsibility for the Brian Lara Stadium at Tarouba.

Ramsaran said that four Central Zone cricketers were selected on the national team which captured the Cricket West Indies U-15 tournament last month in Antigua and Barbuda.

The players were Justin Jagessar, an opening batsman/ 'keeper who was appointed vice-captain; Brandon Deonarine, a right-arm off-break bowler; Alexander Chase, a left-arm seam bowler; and Luke Ali, a right arm seam bowler.

Jagessar played a great part in piloting TT's success in the regional tournament, scoring 200 runs with successive half-centuries, which earned him a pick on the West Indies Under-15 team to tour England in August.

And, so far this season Jagessar has scored 1,000 runs in inter-zone and schools cricket and seems set for a bright future in the game.

The only other TT cricketer selected on the regional team is Andrew Rambaran of the East Zone.

Ramsaran is optimistic of future success for the Central Zone youngsters who are chasing the historic achievements of the East Zone which dominated the age-group competitions for two consecutive years earlier this decade.