PSAL's Inter-Boro Cricket Classic

Kavishwar Bridgepaul will be on display this weekend in the PSAL's Inter-Boro cricket classic. (Photos by Shiek Mohamed)

By Sam  Sooppersaud
On Saturday, June 5th, the Mayor’s Cup cricket final was played out at the Seaview cricket field in Canarsie, Brooklyn. This game was the deciding contest as to which of New York’s five boroughs reigns as cricket champions for 2010.  Brooklyn comfortably defeated The Bronx.

The very next day, Sunday, June 6th, the PSAL Cricket Tournament Finals (High Schools) was hotly fought between Richmond Hill and William Bryant High Schools at the Gateway cricket ground, Brooklyn. It was a game in which the spectators and players alike were, figuratively, at an amusement park, and riding a roller coaster. The game kept moving from one team to the other, back and forth. Eventually, after much nail biting, hair pulling, of course, praying, Bryant came out on top.

On Saturday, June 19th, the third lap of the trifecta will be staged, at the Gateway cricket field. Whereas the Mayor’s Cup Finals determined the “adult cricket” championship, the game on this day will decide the borough’s high school championship. The youngsters will be on display. They will represent their respective boroughs and will show why they are the future of cricket in New York and the USA.

During the recently concluded PSAL 2010 season numerous players, both batsmen and bowlers, exhibited exceptional cricket skills. Foremost of them was Kavishwar Bridgepaul of Richmond Hill High School. He is an all-rounder, and an exciting cricketer to watch. He has already represented the USA at the Under-19 level and very soon may be staking a claim to selection at the senior level. He is a fearsome, hard hitting batsman, a bowler’s nightmare. As an opening bowler he is devastatingly fast. He sends chills through the stomachs of opening batsmen.

Two other exciting batsmen that will display their prowess are Abrar Zaffar and Jazeb Tariq, both of Franklin D. Roosevelt High School in Brooklyn. They are a duo of destruction to any bowling attack.  All three of these batting stars, Bridgepaul, Zaffar, and Tariq, score centuries during the recent PSAL tournament.

Imdad Khan, another talented youth cricketer will get to show his skills.

At Sheepshead Bay High School the promising bowler to look for is Imran Mazhar. He took bowling honors of 7 for 11 in one match.  Imdad Khan of Aviation High School is a wily left arm spinner with a good cricket future. Newcomers High School’s Gazi Rahman in a speed merchant that will bring smiles to the faces of USA cricket officials. He is an opening and he is F-A-S-T. Seeing him run up you would think that he is in “a hundred yard dash”. In fact, an opposing coach once fondly remarked, “is he running in from another zip code”? Yes, he has a long run up. All three of these bowlers have taken a hat trick in games. A hat trick is accomplished when a bowler takes 3 wickets in 3 consecutive deliveries.

The very best players have been selected for this cricket classic. The cricket format will be Twenty/20. The first game will start at 9:00. A.M. with Queens Division 1 taking on Queens Division 11. This game will be followed by a contest between Brooklyn and a combined Manhattan/Bronx Eleven. The two winners will then meet in the third game to determine which of the five boroughs reigns as the High School cricket champions.

Cricket fans are assured that they will be thoroughly entertained. Let me give you an example. In the PSAL finals with Bryant batting, at the end of the 16th over the score was 100 for 7. By the end of the 17th over the score was 129 for 7, a total of 29 runs scored in 6 balls including 4 sixes. Then Richmond Hill batted, Kavishwar Bridgepaul took 24 runs from an over with 3 mighty sixes.

Yes, a firework show is promised. Don’t miss it!