Long road for Toco cricketers in SSCL
Written by Jelani Beckles on January 17, 2025
THE stamina of the Toco Secondary School cricketers will be put to the test in the 2025 PowerGen Secondary Schools Cricket League (SSCL) premiership division 50-over competition. The school, located in the northeast, is a fair distance from the other schools in the division.
Toco earned promotion to the premiership division after winning the championship north division in 2024. ASJA Boys College San Fernando will also feature in the premiership division after winning the championship south division. Toco and ASJA will match their skills against premiership league defending champions Presentation College Chaguanas, St Mary’s College, St Benedict’s College, Fatima College, Hillview College, Naparima College, Vishnu Boys Hindu College and Presentation College San Fernando.
Toco will play five of their nine matches away from home, therefore travelling will be time-consuming and costly.
Kester Lincoln, the teacher in charge of cricket at Toco, said, “Transport is definitely an issue. We are coming from far, so transport is one of the major issues that we have to deal with. Thankfully we have a few home games, so at least the transport will not be bad (for those games).”
In the first two rounds, Toco will have to journey to Port of Spain. In round one on January 21, Toco will play St Mary’s College on St Mary’s Ground in St Clair, and in round two on January 28 they will face Fatima College in Mucurapo.
It will take between two and two and a half hours for the Toco players to travel to Port of Spain. In total, the players will spend between eight and ten hours on the road during the first two rounds of competition.
Some schools own a bus, but Toco will have to hire a maxi for the team. Toco will play their home matches at Brooklyn Recreation Grounds in Sangre Grande, roughly a 40-minute drive.
Toco have been out of the premiership division for at least ten years. Lincoln said the school is behind the cricketers.
“The administration is very much supportive of the initiative. It has been a long time since Toco has been there, so now that we are back in the premiership the students are excited to play. We are getting some support, even though things may not be as we want it to in terms of sponsorship and so on. Toco is not as fortunate as the other schools.”
Lincoln said the players should have enough gear for the season which ends in May, but will be grateful for support. “We are hoping to get some sponsorship within the near future as the league begins, so that should add to what we already have.” After the 50-over tournament ends on March 11, the T20 competition will bowl off.
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