Bidaisee, Seetaram, Sookoo win top awards

NAVIN Bidaisee, Andre Seetaram and Suriya Sookoo won the 2019 cricketers of the year awards when the PowerGen Secondary Schools Cricket League (SSCL) Awards were held at the Couva/Point Lisas Chamber of Commerce, yesterday.

Bidaisee, captain of Hillview College, won the premiership top player and overall cricketer of the year award after helping the school to the 50-over premiership and Intercol T20 titles. Bidaisee had brilliant performances in the 50-over league with both bat and ball, scoring 264 runs and taking 19 wickets in seven matches.

Seetaram snatched 26 wickets to help St Mary’s College to the championship north 50-over title that earned the team promotion into the premiership division next year. As a result, Seetaram was announced as the championship division cricketer of the year.

In the girls open T20 division, Sookoo was the top player after scoring 254 runs and grabbing 11 wickets. She was voted as one of the cricketers of the year after propelling Barrackpore East Secondary to the Flow Girls Open T20 title. Among those who attended the awards were TT Red Force and Trinbago Knight Riders cricketer Amir Jangoo, former West Indies Women’s cricketer Merissa Aguilleira, president of the SSCL Surujdath Mahabir and officials of sponsor PowerGen.

Jangoo, who was a key member in leading Fatima College to a number of titles a few years ago, delivered the feature address. Jangoo, now 21, said schools cricket was pivotal in developing his cricket career.

Jangoo, who was a student at St Anthony’s College before transferring to Fatima, said playing for St Anthony’s at Under-14 and Under-16 level allowed him to be recognised as he went to England on a schools cricket tour. “I remember Mr Mungal. (When we were) playing a game against Success Laventille I must have scored 50 odd and Mr Mungal said, ‘Youngster you have some ability, we having a trials to go England I think you should come.’ I ended up trying out at the trials and I ended up making the team to go England and that was actually was my first tour ever as a young cricketer.”

Jangoo said the England trip gave him the inspiration to pursue cricket as a career. “Going to England at the age of 14 years old, your first cricket tour, you did not know what to expect. It was something that I have really close to my heart because that really gave me the stepping stone to know that I really wanted to be a cricketer.”

HONOUR ROLL

National Winners

Under-14

Runners Up - Hillview College

Winner - Presentation College, Chaguanas

Under-16

Runners Up - Hillview College

Winner - Presentation College, San Fernando

Seniors - 50 Overs

Runners Up - Miracle Ministries

Winner - El Dorado East

Seniors T20

Runners Up - La Romaine Secondary

Winner - El Dorado East

Championship

Runners Up - St Mary’s

Winner - Presentation College, San Fernando

Girls Open

Runners Up - Holy Name Convent

Winner - Barrackpore East

Intercol

Runners Up - Presentation College, Chaguanas

Winner - Hillview

Special Awards

Umpire of the Year - Noir Francis

Distinguish Service to the SSCL - Arjoon Ramlal

Coach/Manager of the Year - Rydell Ramsaran (Presentation San Fernando)

School of the Year - Hillview

Girls Open T20

Best Batter - Jesse Ferdinand (Holy Name, 260 runs)

Best Bowler - Genelia Juppy (Barrackpore East, 17 wickets)

Best All Round Player - Suriya Sookoo (Barrackpore East, 254 runs, 11 wickets)

Championship

Best Batsman - Leon Basanoo (St Mary’s, 523 runs)

Best Bowler - Andre Seetaram (St Mary’s, 26 wickets)

Best All-Round Player - Tariq Mohammed (Presentation San Fernando, 498 runs, 13 wickets)

Premiership

Best Batsman - Cephas Cooper (Naparima, 480 runs)

Best Bowler - Nicholas Ali (Shiva Boys, 19 wickets)

Best All-Round Player - Navin Bidaisee (Hillview, 264 runs, 19 wickets

Cricketers of the Year

Suriya Sookoo, Andre Seetaram, Navin Bidaisee

Overall Cricketer of the Year

Navin Bidaisee