WELCOME BACK, SSCL.
Three years is a long time by any measuring standard. Since 2020’s Covid-enforced abandonment of the SSCL season, our Nation’s talented youngsters have been starved of the game they love. Now, with all necessary permissions granted and guidelines for sanitation measures in place, schools’ cricket is back with a bang. The 2023 SSCL season officially bowled off on Thursday, January 26th at the iconic Queen’s Park Oval. The League’s title sponsor, PowerGen, was on hand to commit their support once more towards the development of schools’ cricket. This year, the SSCL and PowerGen celebrate a partnership that is 25 not out, with every indication that there is a lot more to come.
SIEWAH TROUNCES SHIVA BOYS’.
Attention turned at once to the marquee game of round 1, where 2020 champions Shiva Boys’ faced Fatima College. The 2020 champions made the long trek up from Penal looking for a positive start to their title defence. They found instead a Fatima unit full of confident young men who had already tested themselves in numerous Inter-Zone battles. The Northern warriors took first strike, but found themselves on the back foot early, Aditya Ramdeen was adjudged LBW for just 2. In strode captain Joshua Davis, the current standard-bearer for the legendary Davis family, and he set about steadying the innings. Shiva would claim the second wicket with the score on 46, but this only brought Zachary Siewah to the crease. Looking fitter and more focused than ever, “Zak” immediately waded into the bowling, hitting 5 boundaries in his first 15 deliveries.
Siewah raised his half-century off 49 balls, receiving good support from Niall Maingot after Davis was dismissed with the score on 68. The pair took their stand to 119 and the total to 187 before Maingot fell, leaving Siewah on 87. Zak upped the tempo, moving into the 90s with a 6 and an all-run 4, but he was visibly tiring. On 98, he tried to loft the persevering Sachin Nandlal over his head but couldn’t get enough power. As he trudged dejectedly off just 2 short of an excellent ton, his teammates and opponents alike applauded him warmly. Fatima eventually closed their innings on 237-5 off 44 overs, but Zak wasn’t done with Shiva. He returned later in the day with the ball to grab 2-20 off 6 overs, helping to sink the southerners. A defiant last wicket stand of 30 took Shiva to 98 before defeat was finalized.
ROUND 3 GOES TO ZAK AS “NAPS” FEEL HIS FURY.
After a bye week in round 2, Fatima were back in action as round 3 took them to San Fernando. A buoyant Naparima College outfit awaited them, with successive victories over St. Mary’s and Shiva under their belt. Their batting unit had racked up a combined 417 runs whilst their bowlers had conceded a mere 155. Confidence was definitely not in short supply in the “Naps” camp, but would that be enough to overcome Fatima? The home supporters must have thought that was the case as their opening pair walked out to start the innings. By the time the score reached 23, however, three wickets were already down, and the Fatima bowlers were causing havoc. Naparima got their innings back on track with some determined batting, but at 137-6, Siewah took matters into his own hands. He first snapped up 2 quick wickets, then ended a 9th wicket stand of 60 by running out Liam Mamchan. In the final over of the innings, he claimed his 3rd scalp to finish with 3-34 from his spell.
With a target of 202 to chase down, Fatima’s batters knew a solid start was imperative. This was not to be, however, as they lost 2 quick wickets by the time they had scored 28. Coming in at number 4, Zak set about his task immediately, and the Naps bowlers seemed powerless to stop him. With Isaiah Fernandes playing the rock-solid innings of his life at one end, Siewah freed his arms at the other. The pair weathered the pace of Ali and Mamchan as easily as they countered the spin of Cooper and Ramdoo. Fernandes was all grit and graft as he kept the scoreboard ticking with well-placed 1s and 2s. Zak was not so patient or kind, treating all bowlers alike to his power and range of shots.
They took Fatima to 142-2 at the end of the 39th over and then the heavens opened up. The ensuing delay cut 8 overs off of the maximum 50 allotted and on resumption, Fatima had a new target. Requiring 25 runs for victory off 3 overs, the Fatima batters knew they couldn’t waste deliveries. Their urgency cost Fernandes his wicket via run out for a vital 47, ending a partnership of 118. As the old saying goes, “cometh the hour, cometh the man.” Someone must have given Zak the message that the cut-off time was near with 7 needed off 8 deliveries. He launched the next 2 balls for 6 and 4 respectively to secure the victory and end unbeaten on 90. His second score in the 90s from his two innings thus far in the season sounds a warning to all opponents. Fatima’s “Zak Attack” is well and truly on song and an early contender for Star of the Season.
