Metropolitan Cricket League
By Dervon Wallace
Captain Cliff Roye hit an unbeaten half-century to carry his team Villagers to their seventh win defeating Pioneer/Tristate by 6 wickets when action continued in the Metropolitan Cricket League Clement “Busta” Lawrence Premier League on Sunday July 6, 2014 at the Gateway Cricket Field in Brooklyn NY.
Cliff Roye top-score with an unbeaten 59.
After restricting Pioneer/Tristate for a modest 157, Villagers recovered from a precariously place 27 for 2 and the batting line-up not as strong as previous weeks. With Richard Staple 10 (11balls 2×4) and Sashane Anderson 7 (9 balls) back in the hut, the ever strong Melroy Kingston and Roye carried out a rebuilding job sharing in a 65 runs third wicket stand before Kingston 25 (39 balls 1×4 1×6) fell with the score on 92 for 3 in the fourteenth over. Roye who is short on time in the middle rode his luck, living a charm life on his way to a season best 59 (52 balls 8×4 1×6).
The burly right-hander who continues to add to his already superb record at the helm of an unbeaten team was put down no fewer than 3 times and to add salt into the wounds of technical director Clifford Hinds and his young team, Roye was clean bowled with 60 runs still needed only to see the outstretch arm of young umpire Dyon Ravello correctly signaling no ball. Villagers were still not out the woods when Talisman Gordon after blocking and blocking, blocked one too many and it took a leading edge and was brilliantly taking at short fine-leg making it 112 for 4.
Any little hopes the visitors had was short lived as walked to the crease was a man who over the last couple years has developed as one of the finest all-rounder in the New York Region in the form of George Adams. The stocky Adams who always look a different player when he gets to train with his coach the former Jamaican batsman Ordelmo “John” Peters again proved that he can hit a cricket ball as clean as anyone in the country, showing just that hitting a quick fire 29 from 8 balls laced with 4 monstrous sixes and 1 sweetly timed four as Villagers rushed to their target in the 22nd over. Keiffer Phill finished with 2 for 51 from 5 overs and a wicket apiece for Dillion Bourne and Yougeahwar Ganesh with 1 for 22 from 4 overs and 1 for 35 from 4.4 overs respectively.
George Adams took 2 for 18 and return to slam unbeaten 29.
Earlier in the day Pioneer/Tristate won the toss and got to their total thanks to knocks from Paul Salmon 35 (46 balls 1×4 2×6), Horitho Paul 29 (32 balls 1×4 2×6) and Clint Wiseman 21 (25 balls 3×4). The inning wasn’t without a bit of controversy as Paul seems aggrieved being given out caught behind by umpire Ivan Brown who in renown international umpire Steve Bucknor like manner took his time in making his decision that came after a sustain appeal by the Villagers fielders.
Adams 2 for 18 from 7 overs, Gordon 2 for 23 from 7 overs, Ewart Gayle 2 for 27 from 8 overs, Kingston 2 for 39 from 8 overs and Romoy Ricketts 1 for 21 from 5 overs was the wicket takers for Villagers.
Final score in the game Pioneer/Tristate 157 for 9 from 37 overs and Villagers 161 for 4 in 21.4 overs.
