By Saif Yasin
Photo Gallery
In the final round of the EACA regular season, Big Apple Cricket Club squared off against Hillside Cricket Club. In what potentially could have been a first round playoff match up, both teams came prepared to do battle on a beautiful day at Bay Park.
Kumar Nandalall had figures of 2 for 16. Photos by Shiek Mohamed
Winning the toss and electing to bat first was Hillside who sent out openers Aleem Khan and Harry Heeralall to face the fiery Big Apple pacers Telston Johnson and Charlton Senior. The openers were a little hesitant against Johnson at first allowing him to bowl two maidens in his first five overs, but they slowly gained their composure.
Once the two were settled in at the crease Khan and Heeralall stroked the ball to all parts of the ground. With them at the crease Hillside looked poised to put up a total of 220 plus. Big Apple need a breakthrough so at 4 and 5 overs respectively Johnson and Senior saw their days come to an end. Replacing them were left arm spinner Kumar Nandalall, who coming into the game had 28 wickets on the season and young medium pacer Ryan Balram.
Balram would get the breakthrough Big Apple needed removing Heeralall for 14. In would walk the dangerous Sayeed Allie, who was looking to build upon the 70 run opening partnership. It wouldn’t last long however as Nandalall removed Aleem Khan for a well played 43. Altaf Habibulla was the new man in, but could only manage 13 as he was caught off the bowling of Shiv Raghubar. A combination of stroke play and running lead to Hillside reaching and under par score of 137 all out.
Inning Summary
Hillside 136 all out (Aleem Khan 43/ Mahendra Mahabir 23/ Sayeed Allie 17)
Big Apple: Shiv Raghubar 8-0-23-3/ Kumar Nandalall 6.1-2-14-2/ Ryan Balram 5-0-22-1
With a less than par score on the board Hillside would need to take early wickets if they would have any chance of winning, so said so done. In an unusual turn of events Ryan Balram opened batting with last week’s centurion Mark Gomes. The pair wouldn’t last long as Balram was caught of the bowling of J. Rossane for 0. To make matters even worse Big Apple, the new batsmen Clain Williams attempted to play across the line of the ball and was given out LBW for 0 off the bowling of Rossane.
Zaheer Saffie produce a captain's knock of 75 not out.
With Hillside picking up two easy wickets skipper Zaheer Saffie would take the reigns of the innings and who along with Gomes lead the innings in a more positive direction. The two would slug the ball to all parts of the ground, punishing the bowlers with boundary after boundary. Gomes would be dismissed for 31, being caught off the bowling of Wasim Shaw.
Hillside would strike two more times removing Mark A. Gomes for 5 off the bowling of Rossane and Steve Ragubar for 1 off the bowling Altaf Habibulla.
In the end however Saffie and new batsmen Shiv Ragubar would guide Big Apple home. They would reach their total in 25.1 overs.
With Ragubar finishing on 16 and Saffie on 75. It was arguably one of Saffie’s best innings of the season. As a result of winning this match Big Apple finished fourth in the regular season standings and will face off against Richmond Hill in the first round of the EACA playoffs, in what will be a highly anticipated rematch between the two clubs.
Inning Summary
Big Apple 138 for 5 in 25.1 overs ( Zaheer Saffie 75/ Mark Gomes 31/ Shiv Raghubar 16)
Hillside: J. Rossane 6-0-41-3/ Altaf Habibulla 5.1-0-19-1/ Wasim Shaw 4-0-22-1