Presentation aim to seal SSCL crown against Princes Town

COACH of Presentation College, Chaguanas Kelman Kowlessar said his team, who can clinch the title today, will not be taking Princes Town West Secondary lightly in the penultimate round of the PowerGen Secondary Schools Cricket League premiership division competition.

Presentation can seal the title today with a win and if other results go their way. If Presentation College, San Fernando lose to St Benedict’s College the trophy will be lifted by Presentation College, Chaguanas.

Presentation and Princes Town West will face off at Moruga Sporting Complex from 10 am.

Princes Town West have had life difficult in the premiership after being promoted from the championship south division. Princes West will be eager to pull off an upset as they try to avoid being demoted to the championship division. The two bottom teams at the end of the ten-team premiership competition will be relegated to the championship division next season.

Last-placed El Dorado East Secondary are not expected to play their remaining two matches and if so, will be demoted. El Dorado cannot field a team for the rest of the season. Eighth-placed Hillview College and ninth-placed Princes Town West are battling to stay in the premiership.

Kowlessar said his players are confident but is urging them to respect the opposition today.

“The confidence and the excitement in the camp is still there. We have two games to go. How we are looking at it is we are taking each game as it comes, we are not going to take it lightly.”

Kowlessar said two of their quality players are still unavailable as Fareez Ali and Jaden Joseph are still nursing injuries. It is probable that Ali and Joseph, who both scored centuries this season, will play in the last round against Presentation College, San Fernando.

“That will be a blow to our batting, but I think from the last game we have guys who can step up and fill that void. The guys are just going to take the game as it comes tomorrow (today). We are going to play it hard. We are not going to take Princes Town for granted, so we are looking to go (all) out for a win tomorrow.”

Speaking more about the batting, Kowlessar is hoping batsmen convert their starts. Many Presentation batsmen were dismissed for between 15 and 25 runs against Vishnu Boys Hindu College last week but did not convert those knocks into scores of at least 40 or 50.

“The way the team is made up on any given day any guy could step up...we have the likes of Luke Ali, Darius Batoosingh, Cristiano Ramnanan, we have Brandon Phillip,” Kowlessar said.

Also today, the championship division final between ASJA Boys College, San Fernando and Toco Secondary will be played at Honeymoon Park, Tunapuna at 10.30 am. ASJA won the south championship division and Toc copped the north championship crown. Both teams have been promoted to the premiership next season.