By John L. Aaron
On a day ideally suited for cricket and against the backdrop of the 85-year-old Whitestone bridge that separates the Boroughs of The Bronx and Queens, Atlantis Cricket Club – New York defeated the New York Titans by 33 runs. The action between the two teams was part of the New York National Cricket League’s Premier Division’s 40-overs 2024 season.
After winning the toss, Host Atlantis decided to take the first strike. The openers, Dino Choowenaam and skipper Randall Wilson, stepped onto the field without knowing the par score for the undulating piece of real estate identified as a cricket ground. Despite this, they managed a comfortable start, posting 42 runs before Choowenaam, 16, was caught in the eighth over. Choowenaam’s inning included three boundaries. Skipper Wilson was aiming for a long inning at the other end when Marvan Prashad joined him. The duo took the score to 94 before Prashad was caught at 21, having faced 35 deliveries and hitting one maximum.
With less than 100 runs on the board and the inning almost at the halfway mark, it was incumbent on the incoming batters to post a defendable total. Atlantis would post another 158 runs in the remaining 23 overs while losing five wickets. In reaching 252 for the loss of six wickets, Atlantis had established a par score — at least for Sunday, June 2, 2024, at the ground below the 377-foot towers and 2300-foot-long span of the Bronx-Whitestone bridge.
The top scorer for Atlantis was Ronaldo Alimohammed, who scored 68 off 34 balls, including six maximums and four boundaries. His decisive knock between overs 26 and 36 helped catapult Atlantis from 135 for 5 to 225 for 6. This was preceded by a patient but well-crafted half-century from skipper Randall Wilson, 55, that included five boundaries, before he was run out and back to the shade of a nearby tree. Other notable contributions came from Jamal “Short Boss” Norton, who anchored the other end with a well-made 26, along with Marvan Prashad, 21, and Telston Johnson scoring 15 in the twilight overs.
Atlantis lost its wickets at 42, 94, 124, 131, 134, and 225. The six New York Titans bowlers did their best to dislodge the Atlantis bats, which initially looked like they were targeting a 300-run inning. The pick of the Titans’ bowlers were Rudro Chowdhury, 6-0-33-3, and Abu Jared Rahi, 8-0-48-2.
Set a target of 253; the New York Titans confidently approached the task behind Rudro Chowdhury’s exquisite knock of 66 that included four sixes and five fours off 39 deliveries. At the other end, he had lost fellow opener Jonayt Hossin, 6, and skipper Jared Akif, 5.
With an opening all-pace Atlantis attack of Telston Johnson and Dillon Bourne, Atlantis struck early, dismissing Hossin, caught by wicketkeeper Jamal Norton off the bowling of Telston Johnson, in the third over and Akif, trapped lbw by Dillon Bourne, in the fourth over before Dino Choweenaam emerged spinning and trapping Rudro Chowdhury caught by Kellon Carmichael in the 13th over. Carmichael had an outstanding day in the field taking four catches, three with the keeper’s gloves on. Diquan Murray was very effective with the ball, posting figures of 8-0-31-3 alongside Dino Choweenam 8-1-32-3. The other four bowlers used by Atlantis each captured one wicket apiece.
The New York Titans’ innings came to a close at the 34.4-over mark, with the final score at 219. That gave Atlantis, wearing their at-home yellow jerseys, a 33-run victory. The Titans lost their wickets at 21, 30, 92, 102, 128, 143, 172, 193, 206, and 219.
