Presentation College San Fernando, Fatima battle for top spot in SSCL

FIRST-PLACED Presentation College, San Fernando will battle second-placed Fatima College in round six of the PowerGen Secondary Schools Cricket League (SSCL) premiership division on Tuesday. The match will bowl off at 10 am at the Union Hall Grounds in San Fernando.

Presentation and Fatima have identical records this season winning four matches on the trot. Presentation (72 points) are only in front of Fatima (69 points) because the southerners have earned more bonus points this season.

Presentation coach Rydell Ramsaran is proud of the effort his players are showing.

“The team is doing well. We are playing to plan (and) we could not have asked for a better start with those four games,” Ramsaran told Newsday. Presentation and Fatima have both had their bye week and will be in action every week for the next four weeks.

Presentation have a few players in their team with national youth experience including Jacen Agard.

They will be without Agard for the next three rounds as he has been called up for a West Indies Under-19 training camp.

The depth of Presentation’s squad may be tested as Under-17 and Under-19 zonal matches will be played later this week. Ministry of Education regulations state that students can only leave school for two days per week to play cricket.

Therefore a player will not be allowed to play for their school, an Under-17 zonal team and an Under-19 zonal team in the same week.

“That have me a little worried, but once we have our full team I am confident that we could overcome,” Ramsaran said.

The Presentation coach said he will not place added pressure on his players as they face in-form Fatima.

“I try to keep them as calm as possible.

“We play relaxed cricket and that is what I try to get them to do and they were just playing free cricket (by) not worrying about the results…go and enjoy the game, it is schools cricket and it was working for them. I don’t want to put them under additional pressure at all (saying) this is a must-win game, it is a decider. I am trying not to talk those things in the morning.”

Ramsaran said his batsmen are demonstrating form and the bowlers are also getting the job done. In the last round against Shiva Boys Hindu College, Presentation made a massive 359 for seven in just 41 overs with Riyaad Mohammed scoring 113 and fellow opener Khaleem Mohammed hitting 70.

The opening partnership between the two was worth 150 runs.

In reply, Shiva could only post 97/8 in their 41 overs with Aadian Racha and Isa Ali snatching 3/19 and 2/20 respectively. Fatima were also convincing in round five getting past St Benedict’s by seven wickets. St Benedict’s were all out for 142 in 39.1 overs as Adrian Mahase took 3/17 for Fatima.

Fatima eased to victory ending on 143/3 in 28.1 overs with Zachary Siewah lashing 65 not out.

FIXTURES

Presentation, San Fernando vs Fatima, Union Hall Grounds, San Fernando

Naparima vs St Benedict’s, Naparima Ground, San Fernando

Shiva Boys Hindu vs Hillview, PowerGen Ground, Penal

Presentation, Chaguanas vs St Mary’s, Gilbert Park, California

Vishnu Boys Hindu College - Bye

STANDINGS

Team*GP*W*L*T*Ab*Pts

Presentation, San F’Do*4*4*0*0*0*72

Fatima*4*4*0*0*0*69

Presentation, Chag*4*3*1*0*0*59

Naparima*4*3*1*0*0*57

Vishnu*5*2*3*0*0*46

St Benedict’s*5*2*2*0*1*44

St Mary’s*5*0*4*1*0*29

Hillview*4*0*3*1*0*28

Shiva*5*0*4*0*1*20