Big Apple Wins Battle Of Champions After Defeating Meten Meer Zorg

By Saif Yassin
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On a beautiful Mothers’ Day afternoon the defending 40 over champions Meten Meer Zorg (MMZ) squared off against defending T20 champs Big Apple. These two have a history of providing exciting nail biting cricket, and with their star studded line up no less was expected on Sunday.

Zaheer Saffie produced a captain's knock of 62 not out against Meten Meer Zorg. Photos by Shiek Mohamed

Winning the toss MMZ decided to take strike first with openers Ken Nandkumar and USA national player Andy Mohamed.  For Big Apple, the fiery pace duo of Telston Johnson and Charlton Senior took the new balls.  Mohamed was the aggressor of the two taking eight of Johnson’s first over. Nandkumar played some fine shots before he was caught of the bowling Senior for 18.

In would walk U-19 national Amarnauth Persaud, who along with Mohamed were looking to rebound from the early wicket. Mohamed continued to punish the Big Apple pacers banishing anything that was short to the boundary. It was a short ball from Senior that led his demise, as he miss timed a hook and was brilliantly caught by the wicket-keeper Clain Williams.

Next in was youngster Trevis Ross. Both youngsters showed much promise at the crease, with Ross playing aggressive shots and Amarnauth stroking the ball around.  The two seemed very settle at the crease, leaving Big Apple pondering how to set their field.

Last week’s hero Kumar Nandalall got the breakthrough that ended to youngsters’ resistance, as he had Trevis Ross caught on the boundary by Rhett Ramotar. A middle order collapse ensued for MMZ, due in part to a couple of run outs, as the team stuttered towards the end of the innings. Some late innings heroics by Rocky Kowchai brought MMZ to the competitive total of 175 for 8.

Innings Summary:
MMZ: 175 for 8 (Andy Mohamed 44 5x4s and 1×6, Trevis Ross 37 2x4s and 1×6, Amarnauth Persaud 22 1×4)
BACC: Kumar Nandalall 8-2-17-2, Charlton Senior 8-2-22-2, Shiv Raghubar 8-1-42-1

Zaarah, one of Meten Meer Zorg youngest supporter.

To kick off their chase Big Apple made a change at the top by bringing in one of the newest members of Big Apple, Alvin Kalimootoo, to open the batting with Rhett Ramotar, while Rocky Kowchai and Bilal Shahid took the new balls. The two got off to a cautious start nudging the ball for singles, but soon ended as Kowchai had Ramotar caught for 7. Clain Williams was the next man in and proceeded to have a cautious partnership with Kalimootoo. Shortly after Kalimootoo had to retire hurt because of a hamstring injury, so in walked Zaheer Saffie.

Saffie served as catalyst for the runs chase as he and Williams took it to the MMZ bowlers. Williams would eventually fall for a well played 38 off the bowling of Amarnauth Persaud. Kalimootoo would return to make 34 falling LBW to Persaud.  All the while Saffie would keep his composure and play on to make a well-deserved 62 not out.

Zaffie and Ryan Balram would see Big Apple home in 37.2 overs. With Saffie finding his form early on in the season, he poses as a serious threat to the competition. The club’s MVP is looking to pick up where he left off last year and have another spectacular season.

Inning Summary:
BACC: 176 for 4 (Zaheer Saffie 62 4x4s and 1x6s, Clain Williams 38 1x4s and 2×6, Alvin Kalimootoo 34 2x4s and 1x6s)
MMZ: Amarnauth Persaud 8-0-33-2, Rocky Kowchai 8-0-46-1, Bilal Shahid 7-1-25-1

Saif Yasin is a 17 year-old student at Scholars Academy and a member of Big Apple Cricket Club.