By John L. Aaron
The match may have been designed for Atlantis Cricket Club—NY to hit the dreaded Zorg or advance to meet its next opponent in the 2024 playoffs of the New York National Cricket League’s Premier 40-overs tournament. It was a fun play on the words of its opponent’s name, Meten-Mere-Zorg Cricket Club (MMZ).
Well, the two teams met as scheduled at Flushing Meadows Park, and it was merely another day at the office for Atlantis. The boys in green and yellow emerged ahead of the Zorg by 103 runs. With the win, Atlantis avoided the Zorg and met the minimum requirement to advance to the playoff round of the tournament.
Despite losing its first two wickets within the powerplay, Atlantis posted 298 runs while losing only four more wickets. The almost 300 total was orchestrated by a 188-run partnership between Freddy Pestano and his skipper, Randall Wilson. Pestano contributed 84 (5x4s, 4x6s) off 84 deliveries, c. Abdullah Syed, b. Reyaz Latif, in the thirty-first over. His skipper Wilson followed five overs later, having posted his third century of the season, 102 (4x6s, 7x4s), stumped off the bowling of Ritchie Looknauth.
The other Atlantis double-digit contributors were Jamal Hinckson and Ronaldo Alimohamed, each with 26, and Extras with 38. The Atlantis wickets fell at 12, 30, 218, 252, 268, and 287. The pick of the litter of eight MMZ bowlers used was Ritchie Looknauth, 8-0-55-3.
Facing almost 300 runs as a target for the win, MMZ opened up with its skipper Andy Mohammed and Abdullah Syed. The latter was the first to depart for 11 (2x4s) b. Kheshram Seyhodan, followed by Looknauth Chinkoo, for 8, c. Jamal Hinckson, b. Telston Johnson. It was a spirited approach to the target led by the MMZ skipper Mohammed, who struck 41 off 43 deliveries, including six boundaries, before departing with the MMZ total at precisely 100. Ritchie Looknauth, 36, and Melvin Shewprasad, not out 25, made worthwhile contributions, albeit in the losing cause. Extras chipped in 19, with the MMZ wickets falling at 26, 45, 84, 100, 113, 150, 150, 161, 174, and 195, as MMZ closed out its inning at 195 all out. Telston Johnson topped the Atlantis bowling charts with figures of 8-1-36-4, Kheshram Seyhodan nabbed 2 for 27 off his seven overs.
Randall Wilson was adjudged Player of the Match.
With the win, Atlantis moved into the third points slot with 16 points but a better net run rate than Melbourne Cricket Club and Richmond Hill Liberty Cricket Club, with 16 points each on the standings chart.
The first playoff matches are scheduled for this Sunday, August 18, 2024. Ironically, Atlantis will again face off against MMZ, which is sixth in the points standings. The match starts at noon at The Cage, 150th Street & Foch Boulevard, Jamaica, NY.