Atlantis Deflated At The Foot Of Richmond Hill

Going in with a 2-0 season record, and having beaten Richmond Hill Cricket Club twice during the 2014 season, Atlantis Cricket Club – NY must have been inflated with confidence, meeting Richmond Hill last Sunday at The Cage, Baisley Pond Park. However, it was a deflated Atlantis with the wind sucked out of their sails that ended up at the foot of the Richmond Hill XI.

Richmond Hill, winning the toss on an overcast day with rain in the forecast, opted to take first strike on a strip favoring spin. Opener Marlon Kallicharran was quickly returned to the flight deck after scoring only two runs, compliments of Jamal Jackman via Prashanth Nair’s hands. However, the crafty veteran Debo Sankar would hang around for 46 (9x4s) caught and bowled Prashanth Nair, while Pradip Roopchan, 31 (5x4s) was run-out. In the interim Richmond Hill had lost another wicket, that of Nedesh Basdeo for 9 (2x4s) clean bowled by Lijo Mazhuvanchery.

With three wickets down but almost 100 on the board, the wily Sean Thompson entered and hung around, while contributing a genuine knock of 16. Power broker Deryck McDonald treated the Atlantis bowlers with scant respect, piling on 55 not out (7x4s, 1×6), while Imran Ali chipped in 11 , in helping Richmond Hill reach 228 including 48 extras, for the loss of nine wickets in 40 overs; as the ominous cloud covering moved closer in a south easterly direction.

Bowling for Atlantis, skipper Alex Amsterdam bagged 3 for 44 of his 8 overs, while Prashanth Nair snared 2 for 34 off 8 overs. Greg Robinson, Lijo Mazhuvanchery, and Jamiel Jackman making a return after a leg injury, each bagged one wicket apiece.
Chasing almost six runs per over, it became a cat and mouse game with Atlantis; the score, the impending rain, and the intruding net run rate. Net run rate finished first, but not before Richmond Hill had kicked Atlantis to the bottom of the hill, in an embarrassing and humiliating loss.

Atlantis opened with the returning Henderson Blades, and vice-skipper Ryan Sukhdeo. Both batsmen looked fairly comfortable and set to make huge contributions, as Sukhdeo powered his way over and by the outstretched hands of the Richmond Hill fielders for a quick fire 21 (4x4s) before he was trapped LBW by Ramphal Bactowar. The heavy-hitter Blades contributed 20 (3x4s) before he played into the hands of Sean Thompson via the nifty bowling of Kumar Nandalal.

The opening pair, though contributing 40+ runs, did so behind the required run-rate. Their patient contributions seemed to have left the incoming Atlantis middle-order with what appeared to be very little choice, in their chase to the runs, before the rain reached them. It was a steady stream of a heads held low procession back to the concrete slabs, as Atlantis lost the next three wickets in rapid succession – Michael Noble, 0, Nicholas Standford, 0, skipper Alex Amsterdam, 0, and Jamal Hinckson, 1. That was the heart of Atlantis ‘ middle-order. In there, were enough duck eggs to make a summer spinach and leek Frittata.

All that was left was the time, the raindrops, and the covers on a muddy debacle; to mark the end of round three of the EACA’s 2015 season. But wait; there was the big man Kavishwar Bridgepaul showing up, bat in hand, and stroking 28 quality boundary-free runs. Albeit, it was too little too late, as the rains came down and so did the covers on a very disappointing appearance by Atlantis, in their new green and yellow Admiral uniforms. Atlantis’ final score in the rain halted fiasco was 92 for 9 in 21 overs. There were 13 extras. Atlantis was 59% short of runs and left 48% of the overs on the table, when the rain Gods interrupted their roll down the hill , giving Richmond Hill a most deserving victory.

Bowling for Richmond Hill: Ramphal Bactowar and Kumar Nandalal together, neatly tucked away Atlantis at the foot of the bed, with figures of 8-0-31-5 and 6-2-17-4 respectively.

Atlantis does battle this Sunday against East Side Warriors at Brentwood Cricket ground. Game time is 1:00pm.