Bowlers Dominate Round 2 of the 2023 Season
By John L. Aaron
Round 2
Unlike the first round of matches in the 2023 MCL season when the batters dominated the bowlers, the bowlers dominated the second round of the New York Metropolitan Cricket League’s Clement “Busta” Lawrence Premier 40-Overs competition.
SUBURBIA vs. SPICE ISLAND
Behind the bowling and captaincy of veteran all-rounder Cuthbert “Cutty” Mendonca, Suburbia Sports Club overpowered Spice Island after winning the toss and offering the first strike to the Spice Island Cricket Club.
Spice Island never got going as their batters struggled against the medium pace of the diminutive Mendonca at Marine Park, scoring a paltry 36 for 7 in just 9.3 overs. Only two Spice Island batters – Damian Reed, 15, and Nolan Samuel, 13, reached double figures. Kenneth Hopkins, Willie Charles, and Lester Douglas were listed but did not appear at the crease. Extras topped the single digits of the other batters with five runs.
The Spice Island wickets fell at 10, 10, 25, 27, 30, 36, and 36. Suburbia used only two bowlers – Cuthbert Mendonca 5-1-16-5 and Dean Burrell 4.3-0-19-1, as the Spice batters failed to register much on the Scoville spice heat index scale.
It was an early day at the office for Suburbia, losing only the wickets of Dean Burrell, b. Damian Reed, 11, and Deendial Sooden, c. Gregory Anthony, b. Devon Jones, 2. Towan Henry, not out on 17 runs, and Andre Lindsay, not out on 5, anchored the Suburbia win. The Suburbia wickets fell at 6 and 25.
Bowling for Spice Island, Damian Reed, and Devon Jones each enjoyed one wicket for 14 and 17, respectively.
Cuthbert “Cutty” Mendonca was adjudged Player-of-the-Match.
ISLAND WIDE vs. VILLAGERS
Calling the right side of the coin, Island Wide Cricket Club opted to bat first against Villagers Sports Club at the Roy Sweeney Oval in Brooklyn. Island Wide was off to a comfortable start, losing their first wicket with at least 30 runs on the board. Openers Sharka Fasical, 16, and Mario Lawrence, 12, both succumbed to the crafty bowling of Dwayne Kerr. However, it soon became the Barrington Bartley Show at the Oval, named after one of the most dedicated cricket stakeholders in New York – Roy Sweeney. Bartley, the eighth bowler used by Villagers, cleaned up with figures of 4.5-0-7-6.
Aloysious Fontenelle, 36, Richley Charles, 35, and Lebert Serieux, 21, were the only ones who posed any significant threat to the host Villagers, as the other batters fell into the single-digit contributors’ category. Dwayne Kerr 4-1-14-2 and Rushane Manning 4-0-28-2 were responsible for the remaining four wickets Barrington Bartley failed to capture.
Island Wide’s collective effort yielded them 155 all out in 30.5 overs, thus, setting Villagers a target of 156 runs off of 240 legal deliveries.
Villagers responded with Barrington Bartley, who appeared to be unable to do anything wrong with the bat and ball on a blessed Sunday, posting 94 not out off of 59 balls, including 6x6s and 9x4s. Once again, it was the Barrington Bartley Fireworks Show. Bartley was supported by Dwayne Kerr, 28, not out, and Jevoy Spence, 14, in banking five points for the Villagers in the tournament.
As Bartley and Kerr brought home the bacon, the Village people reached 156 for 4 in 18.1 overs, losing wickets at the 4, 15, 28, and 39 run marks.
Barrington Bartley was adjudged Player-of-the-Match.
ATLANTIS vs. LUCAS
Hosts Atlantis Cricket Club – NY won the toss against Lucas Sports Club at East 80 Street/Canarsie and elected to bat first, posting a respectable 259 for the loss of eight wickets in 40 overs. Ronaldo Ali Mohammad, one of the Atlantis heroes from the previous week, showed up with bat and ball again, lifting 59 off 37 balls with the bat and grabbing 5 for 15 with the ball. His 59 included 3x6s and 3x4s. He was followed by the other hero of the previous week – Giovanni Letren, 40. Kellon Carmichael, 35, skipper Randall Wilson, 30, Atlantis debutante Isiah Gomez, 26, Mbecki Joseph, 15, and Darius Gopaul, 11, rounded out the Atlantis run contributions with the Lucas bowlers chipping in 34 extras to the Atlantis total at 259 and the club’s second five points deposit in as many weeks.
The Atlantis wickets fell at 57, 130, 139, 139, 146, 188, 230, and 259 on the last ball of the inning. Bowling for Lucas: Dave “Funky” Hart had figures of 8-0-38-3, Johan Jeremiah enjoyed 2 for 44 off his eight overs, while Troy Baptiste and Kevil George each captured one wicket at 39 and 42 runs, respectively.
Lucas took to the middle facing an asking rate of 6.5 per over. It appeared arduous as the Lucas gentlemen failed to find a spark, losing its first eight wickets with less than 50 percent of the required runs on the board. The Lucas wickets fell at 21, 49, 62, 62, 63, 66, 73, 73, 105, and 111. Bowling for Atlantis, Ronaldo Ali Mohammad captured a fiver for the second week in a row with figures of 6-1-15- 5. Isiah Gomez had 3 for 30 off 6.5 overs, Orlando Kirton 1 for 10 off 2 overs, and Kellon Carmichael 1 for 30 off his five overs to round out the Lucas inning, with Atlantis winning by a 148 run margin.
Ronaldo Ali Mohammad was adjudged Player-of-the-Match.
There are no matches scheduled for this Memorial Day weekend. The action resumes next Sunday, June 4, with the following fixtures:
LUCAS hosts VILLAGERS at Marine Park D, Brooklyn
SUBURBIA hosts ISLAND WIDE at Roy Wilkins Park, Queens
ATLANTIS hosts WESTBURY at East 80th Street/Canarsie, Brooklyn
All matches start at 12:00 PM.
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