East Mucurapo Secondary’s return to the PowerGen SSCL Championship division in 2015 had been a long time coming. To achieve this feat, the school needed a captain they could rely on to guide their team through the tough times along the way while inspiring them to success. In Mickyle Nicholas, they found just the young man for the job. When he entered Mucurapo in 2010, the cricket programme was still struggling to put together consistent performances and consecutive winning seasons. By the end of the 2014 season, however, he had led them to a hat-trick of U-19 Senior zonal titles and Knockout titles and helped secure their return to the Championship. On Tuesday January 22nd, 2015 Mickyle lead his team out for their round 1 match vs El Dorado East Secondary knowing fully that he needed to be at his very best to inspire his younger charges.
Winning the toss seemed to be a sign of positive things to come and Mucurapo took first knock in perfect weather conditions. The early loss of the first wicket with only 22 runs on the board led the team coach to send in his captain at number 3 to steady the ship in partnership with their other most senior player, wicketkeeper Xavier Razac, who was himself battling through a difficult morning. Mickyle responded with a patient 26 out of a steady partnership of 60 before he was dismissed, but he was far from satisfied and spent the rest of his team’s innings looking pensive as they progressed to 215 all out on the back of a well-played 78 by Razac. His bowling unit was almost exclusively comprised of fast or medium paced bowlers and although very talented, they were still inexperienced. Captain Nicholas knew that he had to be the one leading the way and lead them, he did.
Taking up the attack in the 2nd over, Mickyle’s first 2 deliveries went for wides as he adjusted to the wind sweeping over the Beaucarro grounds. Those would be the only runs allowed as he proceeded to send down 6 inch perfect balls to get his spell underway. By the start of his 3rd over, Mickyle had settled into a beautiful rhythm and produced a peach of a first ball that uprooted the batsman’s stumps to end the opening partnership. His 4th over would bring even more rewards as he claimed wickets off the 2nd, 4th, and 6th deliveries to reduce El Dorado to 36 – 5 and put his team firmly in the driver’s seat. There would be no letting up from the Compre skipper either as he proceeded to complete his 6-over spell with double and single- wicket maidens in succession. Clearly his mercy had remained in the hills of Paramin when he left home that morning. His complete spell, bowled uninterrupted, read 6 overs, 2 maidens, 7 – 13. It’s also worth noting that those 13 runs he conceded comprised of 2 wides, 5 singles, 1 double, and just the solitary boundary. The most significant thing about his 7 wickets, from a purely cricketing viewpoint, was the fact that six of them were either bowled or L.B.W. which speaks volumes about Mickyle’s accuracy, line, and length.
He would lead his victorious team off the field after just 21 overs having dismissed El Do for a paltry 56. It was quite a festive journey back to Port-of-Spain for the Compre boys and through it all their skipper sat and smiled contently knowing that mission 1 in a new challenge had been met and conquered.
Throughout his entie time at East Mucurapo, Mickyle proved himself to be a leader on and off the field of play. As diligent and committed as he was to his cricket, he was equally so in the classroom and left school with a full Level 1 and 2 CVQ certificate in Woodworking. He was a pillar of strength and support for his teammates and the most reliable lieutenant for his coaches and mangers.