Tri-City Sends NY Fighters Down For The Count

Commonwealth Cricket League
Schenectady, NY – Tri-City added yet another notch to their Commonwealth Premier League victory belt with a hard fought win over NY Fighters cricket club in a limited, 35 over cricket match on Sunday June 30th.

Scene from the game between the two teams.

After yet another week of almost constant rain, Grout Park was awash in sunshine to start the day as the visitors arrived almost on time, with a few players running a bit late after the long drive from New York City.  Tri-City won the toss, but offered the batting to NY Fighters to accommodate the late arrivals.  It would turn out to be a good decision, however unintended.

The Fighters sent openers Sonu and Ranjeet Singh to the middle to begin their innings.  And begin they  did,  getting off the mark quickly with some good running between the wickets.  Things seemed to be going the visitor’s way as they chalked up 43 runs in the first nine overs alone, batting with precision and confidence.  It would not last, however.

In the ninth over, Tri-City paceman John Florent scored first blood with the able assistance of an excellent catch by skipper John Persaud to dismiss Ranjeet Singh.  Sonu Singh continued to bat on confidently under the withering deliveries of Florent and partner Anil “the Hammer” Sahaman, but was unable to build another solid partnership with anyone and began pressing as the game wore on.  Eventually, it would prove to be his undoing.  In the 20th over, he was run out trying to stretch a single into a double, and Tri-City had their big breakthrough.  He finished on 35, with nine doubles.

After Singh’s departure, wickets began to fall with regularity as Tri-City put the pressure on with the bowling tandem of Fizal Husain and Raymond Cecil.  While Sahaman and Florent prefer deliveries of the aggressive type, Husain and Cecil were more subtle, crafty and deceptive.   NY Fighters run rate dropped to a glacial pace as both Tri-City bowlers bowled effective line and length, pinning the visitors back in their batting creases and refusing to let them hit out with surety.  This allowed the fielders to get into the act, as half of the wickets taken were on catches.

The combination of tight bowling and solid fielding held the NY Fighters to 128 all out in just 29.1 overs.  Special note should be made of Maurice Persaud’s tail-end bowling performance.  In just 1.1 overs, the Tri-City founder took TWO wickets, for ZERO runs!   He was simply unhittable.

With storm clouds looming in the leaden gray skies and the winds beginning to pick up, Tri-City were eager to begin the chase.  Openers Richie Persaud and his uncle, Mike Persaud, were given the job, and they set to work without delay.  Both batsmen were disciplined and controlled, not taking any serious chances, and were the fortunate recipients of some rather Unfortunate fielding to put on a decent 25 run partnership, with the younger Persaud ending on 18 with two fours to his credit, while the elder Persaud added 23 the hard way, with mostly singles and doubles.

But the real batting performance was yet to come.  In a brilliant, 50 run third wicket stand, Ray “the Assassin” Cecil and Mike “Cool Water” Persaud  changed the complexion of the game, and set the foundation for yet another Tri-City victory.  Running hard for singles when they were there, and cutting, hooking and pulling loose deliveries to the boundary, Cecil batted terrifically.  After Persaud sent a sky high pop up into the waiting gloves of NY Fighter’s wicket keeper Mohsin Raza, Fizel “G” Husain eagerly headed out to the middle to do all he could to support Cecil’s efforts.

The two men then began to take the fight right out of the Fighters, playing with a steely determination that simply wouldn’t yield.  The visitors threw eight different bowlers at Cecil and Husain, and were unable to rattle either man.  Even a long rain delay couldn’t unsettle Cecil or Husain, as they continued to pour it on after the unscheduled break.

It took a fantastic catch by Nabeel Shafkat at mid-on off a scorching shot by Husain to finally silence G’s big bat (and it truly was a catch for the highlight reels…).  Husain finished on 16, with two fours and a six, but it would be the last wicket the Fighters would take this afternoon.

At this point, the die had been cast and Tri-City, with plenty of batting left in the pavilion, could sense victory.  Cecil kept things going, eventually scoring the final runs necessary with a beautiful cover drive for four.  In the end, Tri-City tallied up 131/4 in just 24.2 overs, with Cecil finishing 43 NOT OUT with six 6’s to his credit.  Suffice it to say, it was simply a brilliant batting performance.

On the bowling side, Nabeel Shafkat was the most successful of the bunch for NY Fighters, taking 2/11 in his two overs, to go along with his tremendous catch earlier in the day. Although he didn’t take any wickets, Abhishek Satyam also bowled well, giving up just 9 runs in his four overs.

Despite the loss, NY Fighters were gracious in defeat, and even requested a friendly rematch at some point summer.  We hope to make that happen, as they were a terrific bunch of guys who played the game hard and fair.  Hats off to NY Fighters for making the long drive to Schenectady, and for playing a great game.  It was a pleasure to host them here, and we look forward to playing them again soon!

SCORECARD
Tri-City vs. NY Fighters
Type: 35 Overs
Date: 06/30/13
Ground: Grout Park
Toss: Tri-City
Umpire: Zoeb Zavery

INNINGS OF NY Fighters
Duration in Minutes:
Batting (Strikers only brought 10 players):

Extras 33 (29 wd, 0nb, 3b, 1lb)
TOTAL: 128/all out in 29.1 Overs
Fall Of Wickets (Wkt/Score): 1/43; 2/54; 3/63; 4/87; 5/91; 6/95; 7/107; 8/108; 9/124; 10/128

INNINGS OF Tri-City

Duration in Minutes:

Extras 26 (25 wd, 0nb, 1b, 0lb)
TOTAL: 131/4 in 24.2 Overs 
Fall Of Wickets (Wkt/Score): 1/25; 2/30; 3/80; 4/115