Central Sports owner eyes Premiership I crown: We are number one

TABLE-TOPPERS Central Sports will be favourites to lift a second straight TT Cricket Board Premiership I National League title when they meet the second-placed Bess Motors Marchin Patriots in the final round of action in the 2025 league season this weekend.

The two-day match bowls off on May 17 at Central Sports' Invaders recreation ground home venue in Felicity and team owner Richard Ramkissoon wants his team to send a clear message.

The defending champions top the ten-team table with 160 points from eight matches, with the Patriots next on the standings on 139 points. Clarke Road United (114 points) and PowerGen Penal Sports Club (97 points) are third and fourth respectively.

"It's exciting. It's a very rare feat to repeat and win the National League tournament. It's not an easy task and we are almost over the line in terms of a repeat," Ramkissoon told Newsday on May 14. "The players are very excited and ecstatic because they know it's a tremendous achievement.

"(Marchin) had a lot to say about us and they still keep speaking a lot and talking a lot about the team...we will speak on the field of play once we get the opportunity to play, because the weather (has been) really bad," he said.

Last season, Central Sports copped a double as they won the Premiership I league crown to along with the Twenty/20 Festival. However, Central Sports were denied a treble as Patriots got a 14-run win in the 50-over final. Ramkissoon said Central Sports needed to set the record straight and they don't intend to take things easy because of their 21-point advantage.

"There's no complacency because there is a rivalry between the teams. It's a central derby. Both teams have a lot to play for," he said.

"It's not about winning the title alone. It's about pride...what we want to do is by our actions and performance, we want to send back a message to them, we are the number one team in Trinidad and Tobago."

Overseen by St Benedict's College coach Amin Forgenie, Central Sports have a lot of firepower in their ranks in the form of captain and veteran leg-spinner Imran Khan, opener Kjorn Ottley, Jesse Bootan, former Windies under-19 spinner Derone Davis, Barbados opener Zachary McCaskie and the pair of Mikkel Govia and Kamil Pooran, who are set to return to the lineup after a successful outing with TT Legions in the inaugural West Indies T20 Breakout League.

An all-action allrounder, Govia has been a revelation with the ball for Central Sports this season, grabbing 40 wickets. Meanwhile, Pooran, who made a telling 73 off 44 balls in the Breakout League final on May 10, has been Central Sports' leader with the bat. In round three, the right-handed Pooran slammed 184 not out in a 117-run win over Preysal Sports.

"The team is performing pretty well and we're hoping this weekend, once we get the opportunity to play, that we will at least win first-innings points," Ramkissoon said.

Though he said the season has come with its challenges, the Central Sports owner said his team has endured and are now primed to be crowned 2025 league kings.

"This season was very challenging because a lot of our players have been moving to and fro on international duties. We tried to get a consistent base and strategy to perform," he said.

"We were thinking all the time that we need to restrict teams and then try to score and put a big score on the board. Remember, it's two-day cricket, so it's very difficult to beat the good teams outright in two days."

Captained by hard-hitting West Indies opening batsman Evin Lewis, who hit 142 not out in the previous round against Preysal, the Patriots will be hoping they can get a massive victory to spoil Central Sports' title party.

TTCB Premiership I National League table:

Central Sports*160 points

Marchin Patriots*139 points

Clarke Road*114 points

PowerGen Penal*97 points

QPCC*91 points

Victoria United*84 points

Yorkshire*84 points

Preysal*79 points

Merry Boys*58 points

Prisons*57 points