Sham Ali
(Celebrating 47th Anniversary โ€“ 20260712. Match #1362): - Cosmos turned in a good all-round performance to secure a comfortable victory last Sunday against Fire Blazers at Ferry Point Park #2. On another steamy day Devindra Balgobin won the toss and elected to bat. Despite conditions that are highly unsuited to play cricket; an outfield that seems to reject lawn mowers or is simply neglected by the New York City Parks Department. It can do with some serious cattle grazing instead, since the adjacent soccer fields are cut to standards. Cricketers still show up to play for the mere love of the game, and Cosmos is one of those teams.

The inning got off to a good start with opening batsmen Antonio Rooplall and Chatram Nauth posted 36 in 6 overs before Rooplall glided one to short third-man. The left-handed Chatram then follow with a similar stroke, and then the unthinkable happened when Vian Gooniah raced back for two off an above waist no-ball, he punched a free-hit to cover and took off for a single, but was caught โ€˜nappingโ€™ by a direct hit at the non-strikerโ€™s end.
Govin Persaud rescued Cosmos with a brilliant 57-run knock, featuring six sixes and one four. Photo by Sham Ali

At 40 for 3 in 7.4 overs, Cosmos found themselves in a spot of bother, however, Akash Rahim and Govin Persaud combined to stitched together a crucial 4th wicket partnership which added some stability to the inning. Rahim looked quite composed and was very much contented on pick up the singles. Actually singles is all that this outfield offered where a full-blooded drive died just about twenty yards from the wicket. Govin though was in a more aggressive mood. When he is not holding court in the pavilion as the consummate entertainer on a wide variety stories, he is doing it with the bat in the middle, and in this inning he was in good command as he pounced on anything short. 

Govin trotted up after the break taking twenty from the over that included three dismissive maximums over mid-wicket. He brought up his half-century in just 34 balls that included six sixes, by which time the partnership had swelled to healthy 87 runs in twelve overs to take the total to 137 in the 20th over. Govin finally went when he got caught in two minds, as he said later, miscued a short ball to short backward square for a well played 57 runs that included six sixes and one four. With ten overs remaining,  Cosmos was in a good position for a late inning charge. Akash shifted gears when he brought up his first boundary with a crisply (hold the pose) lofted drive over extra-cover, and followed up with a blistering square-cut for six. Despite Akash's aggression Cosmos kept loosing wickets too easily. Balgobin took off for a quick single but was sent back by Akash, he slipped on the turn, fell hard and bounced up in a desperate scramble for his crease and came up inches short. It is of serious concern of how dangerously unsuited the playing conditions of this pitch is under which cricket is played; a concrete pitch that is about six feet wide instead of the regulation eight feet. An astroturf-like cover that is glued onto the concrete strip that is quite slippery. Players on both sides had their slips. Yogeshwar Ramgobin then dragged a wide ball onto his stumps, and Alvin Gobin played a headless heave and missed. Akash finally went for a patient 39 runs when he punched one back to the bowler who lunged to his left and took an excellent catch. Ryan Ganesh and yours truly took the score to competitive 179 for 8 in the allotted 30 overs.

Cosmos struck a few telling blows in their defense to push Fire Blazers on the backfoot early in the inning. Ryan Ganesh, in the first over, trapped S. Ahmed on the crease with a good in-swinger. Chatram then struck twice in his third over when wicket-keeper Govin took off for a skier and put in the dive to hold onto to an excellent catch on the thirty yards at backward square, and two ball later, he trapped M. Mamun. Ryan then made further inroads into the oppositionโ€™s line-up when Chatram held on to a good catch at deep mid-on.

At 23 for 4 in the fifth over, Cosmos had a grip on this match, however a brief resistance from T. Choudhury and J. Ahmed with a 37-runs partnership took the score to 60. The introduction of Alvin Gobin into the attack severed the partnership when he cartwheeled Choudhury middle stump and had Ahmed taken by Balgobin at short mid-wicket. Vian Gooniah dented the lower order with three quick wickets when Chatram held on to two more catches at deep mid-on and Akash hugged his first love at deep extra-cover. Ryan then back peddled and held on to a well judged catch the deep mid-off as Cosmos zipped up this match to secure a comfortable 84 runs victory. V. Gooniah took 3 for 14, A. Gobin 3 for 31, R. Ganesh 2 for 16, and C. Nauth 2 for 30. 

Upcoming Games:
Sun. 7/19 - 8:30am - Cosmos Youths will play Yuslim 
Sun. 7/19 - 1:30pm - Cosmos v Rising Stars at Beach-58