Brendan Boodoo, Jannah Mohammed named SSCL Players of the Year

BRENDAN Boodoo (Presentation College San Fernando) and Jannah Mohammed (Asja Girls Charlieveille) were adjudged Secondary Schools Cricket League (SSCL) premiership and girls’ open players of the year at the tournament’s annual awards function on June 25.

At the Couva/Pt Lisas Chamber of Commerce conference hall, Boodoo and Mohammed topped their respective divisions, while Presentation Colleges Chaguanas’ Luke Ali and Rio Claro East’s Stevon Gomez were crowned T20 Intercol and championship division players of the year respectively.

Boodoo finished as the league’s top scorer after nine rounds with 365 (scoring 200 not out in round eight) runs while Mohammed copped the award for Most Outstanding Batter, totaling 403 runs.

Ali, 19, captained the central-based team to the league and T20 Intercol titles this season but will no longer feature for the trophy-winning team after graduating this year. He was pleased to end his seven-year spell at the school on a high.

On copping the Intercol’s top individual prize, Ali was elated.

“It shows that all my hard work and dedication towards this sport has paid off,” he said. “All the training and all the sacrifices I've made, it really shows in the end with the two titles for Pres Chaguanas. To me, it’s a bit emotional because I’m leaving and it really means a lot to me.”

Rio Claro West Secondary were presented with their silverware for winning the Girls' Open and Hardball competitions. In both instances, Barrackpore East came second. Additionally, their boys' team were promoted to the championship for the 2026 season.

The “Western Wolves” also copped the coveted Forbes Persaud School of the Year. St Mary’s College’s Aaron Kurbanali was named coach of the year.

SSCL president Nigel Maraj congratulated the awardees and encouraged them to continue striving for sporting and academic greatness. Maraj drew reference to former world number one and West Indies T20 spinner Samuel Badree, of his humble beginnings in Barrackpore, who still rose to be the best in the world.

“His wasn't an overnight success. It took discipline, faith, sacrifice and most of all, resilience,” Maraj said. “His story is a reminder that greatness does not come from avoiding failure. It comes from rising above each time you have failed.”

“We have witnessed the hard work, dedication and the belief that they can achieve. Take, for example, the students who train in borrowed equipment or uneven fields, of which there are many. Or who undertake makeshift conditions, yet turn up game after game with determination in their eyes.”

He added that some of the league’s top performers this year did not have the most resources, but on the other hand, they had heart and grit.

“And that's what makes a team champion. We are proud to see that more schools are involved, more students are participating.”

Minister of Public Utilities and Couva South MP Barry Padarath also addressed the awardees, coaching staff and teachers alongside Ministry of Education director of curriculum planning and development division Anna Singh and Powerge’s head of legal advisory services Marsha Mohammed.

Awardees

North Championship

Round one – All games washed out

Round two – Johanson Gajadhar (Trinity East) 5/19 vs QRC

Round three – s Christian Ramkissoon (Trinity East) 6/4 vs Tunapuna

Round four – Ashmeer Jumadeen (Manzanilla) 64 not out and 5/7 vs Tunapuna; Trevor Padilla (QRC) 7/25 vs Swaha Hindu

Round five – Zaheem Ali (Manzanilla) 5/33 vs Swaha Hindu; Ky-mani Sandy (El Dorado East) 5/49 vs Trinity East

Round six – Zaheem Ali (Manzanilla) 6/22 vs QRC; Vashish Persad Maharaj (Swaha) 6/23 vs Trinity East

Round seven – Ashmeer Jumadeen (Manzanilla) 6/9 vs Trinity East; Vashish Persad Maharaj (Swaha) 5/30 vs Scarborough; Sameer Maraj (Tunapuna) 5/27 vs QRC

Most Runs – Vashish Persad Maharaj (Swaha) 190 runs

Most Wickets – Trevor Padilla (QRC) 16 wcikets

Winner – QRC

Runner-up – Manzanilla

South Championship

Round one – All games washed out

Round two – No stand-out performances.

Round three – Ganesh Gobin (Princes Town West) 5/10 vs Preysal

Round four – Justin Beesai (St Stephen’s) 7/9 vs Carapichaima East

Round five – Stevon Gomez (Rio Claro East) 147 vs Shiva Boys

Most Runs – Stevon Gomez (Rio Claro East) 322 runs

Most Wickets Ganesh Gobin (Princes Town West) 9

Winner – Shiva Boys

Runner-up – Rio Claro East

Premiership

Round one – Brian Harricharan (Hillview) 5/30 vs Pres Chaguanas; Josiah Nicholls (St Mary’s) 5/19 vs Toco

Round two – Tariq Richards (Toco) 81 not out vs Fatima

Round three – Aneal Rooplal (Pres Chaguanas) 5/25 vs Pres San Fernando; Roberto Badree (Naparima) 5/1 vs Toco; Akini Gordon (Toco) 7/54 vs Naparima

Round four – Daron Dhanraj (Pres Chaguanas) 6/16 vs Fatima; Tyler Ramroop (Hillview) 7/16 vs Toco; Amit Chan (Naparima) 102 vs St Benedict’s

Round five – Jaden Simon (St Mary’s) 119 vs Pres San Fernando; Khalfani Wiltshire (St Mary’s) 6/41 vs Pres San Fernando

Round six – Luke Ali (Pres Chaguanas) 113 vs Toco; Aneal Rooplal (Pres Chaguanas) 7/9 vs Toco

Round seven – Amit Chan (Naparima) 113 not out vs Asja Boys San Fernando; Christian Lall (Vishnu Boys) 119 vs Toco; Andrew Rambaran (Vishnu Boys) 104 and 6/12 vs Toco

Round eight – Samir Boodoo (St Mary’s) 5/20 vs St Benedict’s; Brendan Boodoo (Pres San Fernando) 200 not out vs Toco; Fareez Ali (Pres Chaguanas) 101 not out vs Vishnu Boys; Davis Guerra (Fatima) 5/22 vs Naparima

Round nine – Daniel Holder (Vishnu Boys) 106 not out vs Fatima

Most Runs – Brendan Boodoo (Pres San Fernando) 365 runs

Most Wickets – Maleek Lewis (Fatima) 22 wickets

Intercol T20

Five-wicket hauls – Luke Ali (Pres Chaguanas) 5/4 vs Swaha; Nathan Sancho (St Mary’s) 6/5 vs Toco

Girls Open

Centuries – Amrita Ramtahal (Barrackpore East) 108 not out vs SAGHS; Brianna Harricharan (SAGHS) 122 not out vs St George’s; Jannah Mohammed (Asja Girls Charlieville) 227 not out vs Chaguanas North

Five-wicket hauls – Keira Superville (Rio West) 5/12 vs Barrackpore East; Ishana Dass (Asja Girls Charlieville; guest player) 5/12 vs Cunupia; Jessica Davis (Holy Name PoS) 5/13 vs Rio West

Most Runs – Jannah Mohammed (Asja Girls Charlieville) 403 runs

Most Wickets – Jillian Sadaphal (Barrackpore East) 13 wickets

National Division Winners

Boys U14 – St Mary’s; Rio Claro West; Shiva Boys

Girls U16 – Rio East; Asja Charlieville

Boys U16 – St Mary’s and Naparima (joint champions)

Boys Senior Division – Rio Claro West (Promoted to Championship)

Boys Senior Division T20 – St Anthony’s and Siparia West (joint champions)

National Championship

Winners – Shiva Boys

Runner-up – QRC

Girls Open

Winner – Rio Claro West

Runner-up – Barrackpore East

Girls Hardball

Winners – Rio Claro West

Runner-up – Asja Charlieville

Boys Intercol T20

Winners – Pres Chaguanas

Runner-up – Naparima

Premiership (League)

Winners – Pres Chaguanas

Runner-up – St Mary’s

Special Awards

Outstanding Service to SSCL – Robert Warner, Roland Hosein, Kathy-Ann Cedeno-Cook, Vijay Boodoo

Coach of the Year – Aaron Kurbanali (St Mary’s)

Forbes Persaud School of the Year – Rio Claro West

Players of the year

Girls Open

Best Batter – Jannah Mohammed (Asja Charlieville) 403 runs

Best Bowler – Jillian Sadaphal (Barrackpore East; guest player) 13 wickets

Best All-rounder – Brianna Harricharan (SAGHS) 225 runs and five wickets

Championship

Best Batter – Stevon Gomez (Rio Claro East) 322 runs

Best Bowler – Trevor Padilla (QRC) 16 wickets

Best All-rounder – Vashish Persad Maharaj (Swaha) 190 runs and 15 wickets

Intercol MVP – Luke Ali (Pres Chaguanas)

Premiership

Best Batter – Brendan Boodoo (Pres San Fernando) 365 runs

Best Bowler – Maleek Lewis (Fatima) 22 wickets

Best All-rounder – Matthew Cooper (Naparima) 225 runs and 15 wickets

Players of the Year

Girls – Jannah Mohammed (Asja Charlieville)

Championship – Stevon Gomez (Rio Claro East)

Premiership – Brendan Boodoo (Pres San Fernando)

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