Newsday SSCL Star of the Week: Maleek Lewis, young Fatima team aim to stay competitive

RAIN played a major role in round two of the PowerGen Secondary Schools Cricket League premier division 50-over competition on January 28, but many players still got the chance to deliver spectacular performances worth mentioning. Three of the five matches scheduled did not end in a result because of rain.

Every Friday, a cricketer will be profiled as the Newsday SSCL star of the week and on this occasion, Fatima player Maleek Lewis has been selected.

Lewis was instrumental in leading Fatima to a 62-run win over Toco Secondary at the Fatima school ground in Mucurapo. The right-handed batsman struck 47 to help steer Fatima to 207/5 in a shortened 41-over inning because of rain.

His commendable effort did not end there, as Lewis picked up 4/29 to limit Toco to 145/9 in 41 overs.

Newsday spoke to Lewis about the match, the season and Fatima’s history in cricket as the school has produced multiple West Indies cricketers including batting legend Brian Lara, Darren Bravo and Akeal Hosein, who is ranked second among the best T20 international bowlers in the world.

How did it feel to have such a strong match in the victory for Fatima over Toco Secondary?

Good, however, I felt there were several missed opportunities where we could have tightened up and limited the score even further.

Looking at your role this season, is your batting or bowling more valuable to the team?

While both my batting and bowling are crucial, I’d say my batting takes priority. We’ve lost several key batsmen from last season, so the challenge ahead is stepping up and putting up a big score with a young and upcoming team.

Fatima lost a few top players from last year (Joshua Davis, Zachary Siewah, etc). How is the team coping?

Right now, we’re in a rebuilding phase, focusing on bringing our skills and abilities together to work towards success.

What is the realistic goal for Fatima this season?

While our ultimate goal remains winning the SSCL championship, I believe realistically we have the potential to secure a spot among the top three schools.

You just missed out on a 50, were you disappointed or just happy to get Fatima to a competitive total?

Naturally, I was disappointed since scoring over 50 is a personal goal of mine, but I am satisfied that my contribution was enough to help secure the win for the team.

There is a rich history at the school in cricket. Are the expectations too much for this young squad?

Certainly not. We have a lot of talented youngsters on our team and we’re more than capable of competing with the league’s top teams.