By Sham Ali
(Celebrating 33rd Anniversary):- Lions play while the tiger was away and took a huge bite out of Cosmos attack to claw a massive victory with two balls to spare in the opening match of the Metropolitan Cricket League 2016 season. Despite an excellent century from Amjad Khan after Lions won the toss and asked Cosmos to take first strike.
Despite Amjad Khan 118 not out, Cosmos fell Lions last Sunday. Photo by Shiek Mohamed
It was Lions second win against Cosmos in the last twenty seasons. It was a hard fought and tasty one indeed for a new Lions outfit. The resurrected D. ‘Funky’ Hart staved off the Cosmos opening attack after he was very fortunate to have survived a moment of genuine alarm from confident lbw appeal off Sohan Dass, beaten be an in-ducker, as the umpire remained motionless, and his finger grounded.
After the reprieve Funky settled in to build a patient match-winning inning of 90 runs. Funky, the resurrected Lion, was in full flow as he found the off side boundary with a few cheerful crispy drives. He and Everton Mattis teamed up for a crucial 124 runs 3rd wicket partnership that ultimately flattened the Cosmos attack along with the pitch in their defense of a good total of 221 for 4 off the allotted 35 overs.
The Cosmos inning was balanced on the brilliance of Amjad Khan, the former US National player, who wasted no time to shake off the winter flakes and build a firm platform with three partnerships Faizal Taj (22), Thohidhuzzman Rana (29), and Rasheem James (18), after Keith Eddie and Ryan Mohammed went early. The dubious decision handed to Eddie, served perversely to boost Khan’s confidence as he dug in, mindful of the finger, he settled in with an emphatic punch through the covers and then two dismissive pull through the mid wicket region off paceman Charles to confirm his intentions.
He posted solid 82 runs partnership with Rana, who looked impressive on his debut, and then another with Rasheem James. Khan, a shade of his usual self, showed that he is still the batsman who can pack a punch as he constructed his inning in style combined patience with calculated aggression. Khan had struck the 94th century for Cosmos when the inning closed with him on 118 not out that included 10 fours and 4 sixes.
Despite Khan’s ton, Cosmos bowlers in their defense of a good total were somewhat still frozen from a mild winter and offered very little to test the opposition’s batsmen with too many loose deliveries on a pitch that was good for batting. It was a truncated start to the season and Cosmos will have some work to do as the season progressed.
Everton Mattis slowed by a foot injury but not in his class and temperament produced a batting clinic that confirmed why he was once a West Indies top order batsman in the 70’s. He drove, and cut and flicked his way to a diligent half century and pushed further to remain on 67 not out to take Lions to an emphatic victory.
Cosmos will play Pioneer next week at Gateway.