Zachary Siewah, Amrita Ramtahal cop schools cricketer of the year awards

FATIMA College’s Zachary Siewah and Barrackpore East’s Amrita Ramtahal were crowned 2024 boys’ premiership and girls’ open players of the year at the PowerGen Secondary Schools Cricket League (SSCL) awards at Signature Hall in Chaguanas on June 25.

Siewah was the division’s most outstanding batter with his mammoth haul of 483 runs, while Ramtahal also topped her division with 298 runs.

Additionally, Asja San Fernando’s Ubaidullah Abdoel was adjudged championship player of the year. Abdoel also captured the division’s all-rounder of the year courtesy his 191 runs and 18 wickets.

Also in the premiership, Naparima College’s Matthew Copper took home the most outstanding bowler award (20 wickets) and Vishnu Boys’ Andrew Rambaran (396 runs and 17 wickets) was named best all-rounder.

In the girls’ open, Ramtahal’s teammate Abigail Boodoo (12 wickets) took the top bowling prize while Keira Superville of open second-place finisher Rio Claro West Secondary (141 runs and seven wickets) copped the best all-rounder.

The boys' championship division saw Toco Secondary’s Zakilon Beckles (242 runs) earn the most outstanding batter while Trinity East’s Johanson Gajadhar (22 wickets) was adjudged the top bowler.

Delivering the feature address at the awards was two-time T20 World Cup winner with the West Indies and former world number one T20I bowler Samuel Badree.

Badree spoke to the student-athletes about his struggles coming up through the ranks as a young cricketer, who eventually went on to become one of the most feared spin bowlers internationally.

“Beware of people who belittle your ambitions. Small people tend to do that and the really great people make you feel that you too can become great,” he said.

Badree, a former PowerGen player, told the youngsters that he never played youth cricket for TT or West Indies, as he was overlooked twice at the Under-19 level, and then also at the senior level.

His omission brought on “despair, desperation and frustration,” but he persisted “because my aspiration was to play for the maroon.”

Despite winning the Caribbean T20 with TT, and still getting the snub from West Indies selectors, Badree kept working on his craft.

“In 2012, after they (WI selectors) tried every single spinner in the region, finally, they gave me an opportunity. As fate would have it in 2012, I made the T20 World Cup team and we won our T20 World Cup first title.”

"In 2016, again, I was part of the T20 World Cup team that won our second T20 title. During that period, I rose from obscurity from being a country boy in Barrackpore from a single-parent home to becoming the number one T20 bowler in the world.

“Young men and women, if I was able to do that from having nothing, to the national, regional and international stage, so can any one of you here today. The only barrier is yourself,” Badree told the attentive bunch.

Also sharing similar success stories was former West Indies women’s captain and Women’s World T20 winner Merissa Aguilliera, who now serves as Sport Company of TT's athletics, sport development officer.

Chiming in with supportive messages to the students were PowerGen general manager Dr Hayden Furlonge, PowerGen senior corporate communications specialist Francois Ottley, SSCL president Nigel Maraj and Ministry of Education’s director of curriculum, planning and development Anna Singh.

Awards

Junior Division (Playoffs)

Centuries - Darrius Batoosingh (Pres Chaguanas) 100 vs Shiva Boys, U16 quarter-final

5-wicket Hauls - Josiah Nicholls (St Mary’s) 6/6 vs Saha Hindu, U16 quarter-final

Girls Open

Centuries - Abigail Boodoo (Barrackpore East) 109 not out vs St Joseph’s Convent San Fernando

5-wicket Hauls - Abigail Boodoo (Barrackpore East) 5/12 vs St Joseph’s Convent SAn Fernando, South Zone; Amrita Ramtahal (Barrackpore East) vs Were High, National quarter-final; Zaara Bhiki (SAGHS) vs 6/6 vs Saha Hindu, National quarter-final; Jessica Davis (Holy Name Convent PoS) 7/4 vs Scarborough, National quarter-final

Senior Division

Winner - Toco Secondary; 2. Manzanilla High

Centuries - Vashish Singh (Saha Hindu) 157 vs Bishop’s High, National quarter-final

5-wicket Hauls - Vashish Singh (Saha Hindu) 6/49 vs Bishop’s High, National quarter-final; Akash Singh (St George’s) 5/65 vs St Anthony’s, National quarter-final

Players of the Round

North Championship

Round One - Johanson Gajadhar (Trinity East) 5/14 vs Scarborough

Round Two - Tariq Richards (Toco) 77 not out vs Trinity East

Round Three - Kashmir Singh (Manzanilla) 58 & 2/18 vs Toco

Round Four - Johanson Gajadhar (Trinity East) 52 & 5/35 vs Manzanilla; Samuel James (Scarborough) 41 & 5/36 vs TunapunaRound Five - Johanson Gajadhar (Trinity East) 6/34 vs QRC; Dmitri Miranda (Manzanilla) 63 & 4/13 vs Tunapuna

Most Runs - Zakilon Beckles (Toco) 242 runs

Most Wickets - Johanson Gajadhar (Trinity East) 22 wickets;

South Championship

Winner - Asja Sando; 2. Shiva Boys

Round One - Matthew Amoogam (Asja Sando) 67 vs Carapichaima East

Round Two - Justin Deonarine (St Stephen’s) 5/19 vs Carapichaima East

Round Three - Jayden Sadaphal (Asja Sando) 4/18 vs St Stephen’s

Round Four - Ubaidullah Abdoel (Asja Sando) 92 & 1/62 vs Couva East; Sachin Nandlal (Shiva Boys) 6/39 vs St Stephen’s

Round Five - Andrew Radial (Couva East) 103 vs Carapichaima East

Most Runs - Aiden Nanan (Asja Sando) 240 runs

Most Wickets - Ubaidullah Abdoel (Asja Sando) 18

Premiership Division

Round One - Jaden Joseph (Pres Chaguanas) 108 vs Hillview; Arshad Harrilal (St Mary’s) 5/8 vs El Do East;

Round Two - Andre Suglal (Hillview) 112 vs El Do East; Andre Suglal (Pres Chaguanas) 111 vs Fatima; Josiah Carnally (Prince Town West) 5/35 vs St Mary’s; Ishmael Ali (Vishnu Boys) 5/34 vs Pres Sando

Round Three - Fareez All (Pres Chaguanas) 133 not out vs St Benedict’s; Andrew Rambaran (Vishnu Boys) 109 vs El Do East; Matthew Cooper (Naps) 6/32 vs Princes Town West; Nashayn Bethelmy (Vishnu Boys) 5/21 vs El Do East

Round Four - Riyaad Mohammed (Pres Sando) 107 vs St Mary’s; Aaron Mohammed (Naps) 5/18 vs Pres Chaguanas; Caiden Mack (Fatima) 5/14 vs Hillview

Round Five - Aidian Racha (Pres Sando) 104 vs Princes Town West; Mikel Mentor (St Benedict’s) 5/9 vs El Do East

Round Six - Samir Saroop (St Mary’s) 90 not out vs Fatima; Jubari Bacchus (St Benedict’s) 5/29 vs Princes Town West; Andre Suglal (Hillview) 147 vs Princes Town West; Joseph Mendoza (Hillview) 111 not out vs Princes Town West; Justin Jagessar (Pres Chaguanas) 120 vs Vishnu Boys

Round Eight - Jane Agard (Pres Sando) 6/26 vs St Benedict’s; Tyler Ramrod (Hillview) 6/11 vs Vishnu BoysRound Nine - Ishmael Ali (Vishnu Boys) 106 not out vs St Mary’s; Samir Saroop (St Mary’s) 101 vs Vishnu Boys

Most Runs - Zachary Siewah (Fatima) 483 runs

Most Wickets - Matthew Cooper (Naps) 20 wickets

Intercol T20

Centuries - Isaiah Fernandes (Fatima) 100 not out vs Rio Claro East

National Division

Boys U14 Winners - Asja Sando

Runner-up - Pres Chaguanas

Girls U16 Winner - Barrackpore East

Runner-up - Rio Claro East

Boys U16 Winner - Pres Chaguanas

Runner-up - Pres Sando

Boys Senior Winner (Joint) - Saha Hindu & Preysal

Boys Senior T20 Winner - Iere High

Runner-up - St Anthony’s

National Championship Winner - Asja Sando

Runner-up - Toco Secondary

Girls Open Winner - Barrackpore East

Runner-up - Rio Claro West

Boys Intercol T20 Winner - Pres Sando

Runner-up - Fatima

Premiership Division (League)

Winner - Pres Chaguanas

Runner-up - Pres Sando

Special Awards (Individual)

SSCL Outstanding Service - Rudranath Balwant, Gregory Wales, Kumar Singh, Katy-Ann Cedeno-Cook

Forbes Persaud School of the Year - Pres Chaguanas - Two titles and one runner-up finish

Coach of the Year - Anna Mohammed (Asja Sando)

Players of the Year 2024

Girls Open

Most Outstanding Batter - Amrita Ramtahal (Barrackpore East) 298 runs

Most Outstanding Bowler - Abigail Boodoo (Barrackpore East) 12 wickets

Most Outstanding All-rounder - Keira Superville (Rio Claro West) 141 runs & seven wickets

Championship

Most Outstanding Batter - Zakilon Beckles (Toco) 242 runs

Most Outstanding Bowler - Johanson Gajadhar (Trinity East) 22 wickets

Most Outstanding All-rounder - Ubaidullah Abdoel (Asja Sando) 191 runs & 18 wickets

Premiership

Most Outstanding Batter - Zachary Siewah (Fatima) 483 runs

Most Outstanding Bowler - Matthew Cooper (Naps) 20 wickets

Most Outstanding All-rounder - Andrew Rambaran (Vishnu Boys) 396 runs and 17 wickets

Players of the Year 2024

Girls - Amrita Ramtahal (Barrackpore East)

Championship - Ubaidullah Abdoel (Asja Sando)

Premiership - Zachary Siewah (Fatima)