The Middle Schools division of the CIBC Trophy gained limited attention in 2013 compared to the High Schools divisions, possibly due to a mixture of wet weather and the only entries being Toronto schools. As a result there was no Greater Toronto Area Middle Schools Final on GTA finals day. But this year there are three boys middle school entries from Mississauga and two entries from Brampton in addition to the twelve participating schools in the Toronto section.

The 2013 Toronto Middle Schools final took place with an early start at Sunnybrook Park on a day when Toronto Boys High School games held centre stage . Hopefully the weather will provide reasonable warmth and dryness in 2014 compared with 2013.

The initial schedule for the 2014 Toronto Middle Schools qualifiers sees four schools participating in a group at G. Ross Lord Park on Wednesday (May 14) followed by two groups of four playing on Thursday (May 15) at Sunnybrook Park.

The Ross Lord Park group comprises Amesbury, Lambton-Kingsway, Smithfield and West Humber Junior Middle School.

One of the groups at Sunnybrook Park includes Charles Gordon, Earl Grey, Mary Shadd and Valley Park, while the other Sunnybrook Park group involves Bowmore, Dr. Marion Hillard, Lord Dufferin and J.S. Woodsworth.

Last year there were eight Toronto schools in the Boys Middle Schools competition. Rockcliffe Middle School won all three group matches but lost the group playoff to Smithfield Middle School by 9 wickets. Rockcliffe had powered to 93/3 (8 overs) in the group match, opening bat Devon Harrinarine scoring 37, and beat Smithfield by nine runs. Abduallah Abdullah hit 60 in Smithfield’s 84/6 (8 ov).

The second meeting between the teams saw Rockliffe reach 70/6 (8 ov), including 27 from Harrinarine, but Smithfield replied with 71/1 from 7 overs. Opening bat Ahmer Ayaz hit 33 for Smithfield.

Smithfield made 72/4 (8 overs) in the Toronto Middle Schools Final but a knock of 46 not out from opener Hamza Talal carried Valley Park to 77/1 after seven overs to complete a nine wicket win.

The 2014 Toronto launch of the CIMA/CIBC School Cricket Tournament included individual presentations to Hamza Talal of Valley Park as best batter and most valuable player in the 2013 Toronto Middle Schools tournament, with the best bowler award going to Ahmer Ayaz of Smithfield. A special award was also presented to Kingsway-Lambton who lacked previous cricketing knowledge but carried hand-eye coordination skills from baseball onto the cricket field in both 2012 and 2013.

This year has more Toronto Middle school teams plus entries from two of the three other cities as the CIMA-presented CIBC School Cricket Trophy continues to expand. Arrangements for the Brampton and Mississauga Middle Schools qualifying events will be advised in due course. (Eddie Norfolk)