Tri-City Deflect Bullets And Stung By Scorpion

Commonwealth Cricket League
Tri-City vs Scorpion
Schenectady, NY – After an easy win two weeks ago, Tri-City were feeling pretty good about getting the season off to a good start.  This week, we were reminded that there’s ALWAYS a bigger fish, as the saying goes.

On a crystal clear, beautiful late spring Sunday afternoon, Scorpion CC arrived in good spirits in time for a 1pm start.  Tri-City won the toss and elected to bat, feeling confident that the home ground advantage would favor them.

Unfortunately, Scorpion have been to Grout Park before, and seemingly knew what to expect as opening bowlers Manraj Seepersaud and B. Ramsani pinned down Tri-City’s opening duo of Mike Persaud and Mahesh Raganundan.  Youngster Ragunandan was the first victim of Seepersaud’s maddening swing, getting caught behind for a duck.  #3 Faisal Husain fared little better against Ramsani just four minutes later getting caught by the sure-handed H. Seepersaud for just a single run.

Tri-City team of 2013.

At this point, Tri-City were reeling with just four runs and two wickets down.  Not an auspicious start by any measure.  Newly elected skipper Anil Sahaman entered the fray at #4 to try and calm things down, and he and veteran Mike Persaud started to build an innings, but it was slow going.  Scorpion’s bowlers were efficient and almost error free, so it was tough going for the Tri-City duo.

This was due in large part to Bhupinder Ramlochan’s brilliant bowling.  After Ramsani had dismissed Persaud LBW, Ramlochan enticed Sahaman to sky a shot that was held on the boundary by none other than the afore-mentioned H. Seepersaud to send the Tri-City captain back to the pavilion with a nice knock of 27, including two fours and a six.

Tri-City’s fate was then left up to the middle order, and newcomer Nyeem Baskh seemed eager to step up and carry the team on his back.  With savvy, patient batting, Baskh slowly built a nice innings with some excellent stroke play.  He surely earned the respect of the Scorpion bowling corps who were glad to see him go after he had helped Tri-City climb back into contention with a 40 run knock which featured three fours and numerous doubles and nimbly run singles.

However, after Baskh’s departure, things began to collapse for the hometown boys.  With the exception of a defiant 20 run knock by veteran John Persaud batting at #8, the rest of the order fell victim to excellent bowling by B. Ramlochan, as well as some difficult umpiring decisions.  Two solid batsmen, John Florent and Ashok Adikoppula were felled by Ramlochan in the most frustrating way: LBW for naught.

For their part, Scorpion were elated to shut down Tri-City’s vaunted offense after a tough loss last year.  The visiting bowlers managed bowl out the Schenectadians for just 119 runs in 28.9 overs.

The class of the visitor’s bowling corps was clearly Bhupinder Ramlochan, who took 6 wickets for just 25 runs in six overs.  B. Ramsani chipped in with 2/23 with one maiden over to his credit.

With the daunting task of trying to defend a modest 119 run total, Tri-City took the field with opening bowlers John Florent and Ashok Adikoppula.  This reliable duo has suffocated opening batsmen in the past, and certainly hoped to do so again this day.

Scorpion openers A. Khan and B. Sattaur would have none of it, however, taking the bowlers to task from the first delivery.  With unmitigated aggression and unorthodox batting, the pair sliced and diced their way to an 88 run opening partnership with a flair for the dramatic.  Khan was the first to go, with a solid 24 runs, including four 4’s.

Sattaur took things to a new level as he put on 60 runs which featured ten 4’s and two towering sixes.  All of this in just 12 overs!   His batting was truly a joy to watch, and despite the loss, Tri-City could not help but be impressed.  By the time Sattaur was finally caught brilliantly by Ajai Ishmael off the bowling of Faisal Husain, Scorpion were already on 110 with a full 19 overs to go.

In the end, Scorpion coasted to the finish with M. Seepersaud putting the final nail in the Tri-City coffin with a confident and relaxed 19 run knock, which included two boundaries of his own.  Scorpion finished on 120/2 in just 12.4 overs.

So Tri-City learned a valuable lesson.  Just because you win big ONE week, doesn’t mean you’ll do it again the next.  Hopefully they will take this lesson to heart in the next contest.

Congratulations to Scorpion for an emphatic win.  Well played, sirs!

SCORECARD
Tri-City vs. Scorpion
Type: 30 Overs
Date: 06/01/14
Ground: Grout Park
Toss: Tri-City
Umpires: Ashwin Sookraj

INNINGS OF Tri-City
Batting:

Extras 5 (5 wd, 0nb, 0b, 0lb)
TOTAL 119/all out in 29.1 overs
Fall Of Wickets (Wkt/Score): 1/2; 2/4; 3/31; 4/53; 5/86; 6/99; 7/99; 8/108; 9/108; 10/119

INNINGS OF Scorpion
Batting:

Extras 14 (6 wd, 0nb, 4b, 4lb)
TOTAL: 120/2 in 12.4 overs
Fall Of Wickets (Wkt/Score): 1/88; 2/110

Tri-City vs Orange County Bullets
Schenectady, NY – In their first match of the Commonwealth Cricket League season, Tri-City defeated the Orange County Bullets by 6 wickets on Sunday May 18th, 2014.

On a beautiful Sunday afternoon in upstate NY, Tri-City won the toss and elected to field first, being unsure of how the wicket would play after suffering through an entire week of wet, overcast weather.  It would prove to be a good decision, however, as Orange County’s opening batsmen had difficulty solving Tri-City opening duo John Florent and Theron Blair.  Neither visiting batsman could get comfortable at the crease, and runs were scarce as hen’s teeth in the early going.

It was just four overs in that the first wicket fell for just 9 runs, and the slow collapse had begun.  With the exception of number 5, Mani, who finished on 19 with three boundaries, no Orange County batsman was able to reach double figures.  The Bullets were all out of ammo by the end of the 24th over, finishing on 64/all out.

For Tri-City, Faisal Husain led the way taking three for just 8 runs, followed by captain Anil Sahaman who finished on 2/11.

Because of the relatively low target, it was decided to open with two of Tri-City’s brightest young stars Mahesh Ragunandan and Steve Mangal.  Both high schoolers are terrific cricketers, and have shown great promise in both batting and bowling.  As Orange County took the field, both youngsters strode to the crease calmly (at least on the outside!).

It didn’t take long for Ragunandan to establish himself as a force with which to be reckoned. In the first two overs, he managed to accumulate 13 runs with a series of well-played, classic cricket shots.  He and Mangal ran confidently and quickly between the wickets, continually pressuring the Orange County fielders.

By the time the first wicket fell in the third over, Tri-City were a third of the way to their target (wow….so many forms of three in that last sentence….).  And when Ragunandan was finally bowled by Abbas Hussein, he had staked his team to a 42 run total, adding 27 of his own, including three boundaries.  He batted well beyond his years and rewarded the team’s confidence in his ability to open batting.

The Tri-City middle order did the rest, finishing on 65 in 10.2 overs for the six wicket victory.  Abbas Choudry proved to be the best of the Bullet’s bowling corps, taking 2/15 in his four over spell.

All in all, it was a nice way for Tri-City to start the season, and the boys from Orange County were gracious in defeat.  The long drive had clearly taken its toll, but everyone seemed to have a good time despite the lopsided score.  The plus side was that the game finished early so Tri-City were able to break bread with the visitors before sending them on their way back home.

Plans are already underway for a rematch.  Stay tuned for a TCCC-OCB sequel later this summer!

SCORECARD
Tri-City vs. Orange County
Type: 30 Overs
Date: 05/18/14
Ground: Grout Park
Toss: Tri-City
Umpires: Ashwin Sookraj
INNINGS OF Orange County
Batting:

Extras  20 (17 wd, 1nb, 0b, 3lb)
TOTAL 64/all out in 24 overs
Fall Of Wickets (Wkt/Score): 1/6; 2/13; 3/26; 4/33; 5/46; 6/61; 7/61; 8/63; 9 (no record); 10 (no record)

INNINGS OF Tri-City
Batting:

Extras 7 (7 wd, 0nb, 0b, 0lb)
TOTAL: 120/2 in 12.4 overs
Fall Of Wickets (Wkt/Score): 1/12; 2/42; 3/55; 4/64