USA Cricketers

Bronx Dream Team Wins Second Title

By Orin Davidson
Bronx Dream Team rode a wave of  imperious performances over the weekend  to win the Independence Cup  softball title by putting away defending champions New York League Team  by 39 runs in the final  Sunday at Floyd Bennett Field.

Batting star Khaleem Bux registered 81 against New York Softball Cricket League team in the final, he was also named final mvp and tournament MVP.

Following up on a massive batting display in the semi-finals, Bronx Dream Team continued where they left off on Saturday by amassing  193 runs in their allotted 25 overs,  highlighted by a brilliant 81 from Khaleem Bux, that proved too much for the NY League side to handle.

They eventually capitulated for 154 in 24 overs after Bronx’s opening batsmen Bux and  Ravi Balli set up a record  opening  partnership of 122 runs.   Beria slammed 47 for  his part of the bargain and it later became an Andrew Gonsalves show.

The Bronx captain sliced through the League team ‘s  middle order,  to end with 2 wickets for 17 runs and later said  his team’s batting made all the difference  in the five matches they won.

“ I think our batting has been very strong  throughout the games and I expected it to work for us in the final,”  Gonsalves said.

The hard hitting batsman  added that  he was aiming for his fourth MVP title in a row after winning it in the last two Florida competitions and the 2009 Independence Cup.

But he had to make way for Bux who claimed the  two MVP  awards,   for the final and also the overall tournament  MVP.  His innings was by far the highest of the final  which along with a decent haul of 15 wickets and  a runs aggregate of more than 100, he  walked away with the tournament MVP  award for the first time.

The League Team  had a disastrous batting display  that resulted in three run outs.   Captain Kris Shobai stood out  though,  leading  the way  with an accomplished 47 but he saw a middle order collapse that cost four wickets for 30 runs.

Victorious Bronx Dream Team poses with their awards.

Erapali Sahadeo, Sunil Panday and Michael Persaud were all run out  while in  single figures  and were it not for a courageous 38 from Pooran Beria the defeat might’ve been worse.

Shobai and Beria had added 55 for the second wicket before Frankie Baichu rubbed salt in the wounds by bagging 3-34 in addition to Gonsalves’ haul.

In Bronx’s innings Nigel Bridgelall took 2-53 for the League Team.

Shobai, the League Team’s captain was banking on his team’s  bowling to  do the trick but Bux and company had other ideas.

Ravi Ball and teammates poses with the Independence Cup.

Shobai had to be content with the tournament’s batting award for 177 while Gonsalves copped the highest wickets prize. Vejai Seonarine  won the highest innings score for his 82 scored in the preliminaries while Andrew Swami took the bowling prize equivalent for a haul of 4-16.

The League Team had success on Friday in the Legends 45 overs series and it would’ve been a golden double for them  to double up on the titles, but the Dream Team’s batting was much too strong and they took home the Cup for the second time.

In an invited comment President of the New York Softball Cricket League Rick Ferrier believes the tournament produced one of the highest standards of play ever.  “ We have the best softball players in New York  presently”, he  declared  while praising  the competitors  for  giving of their best. Ferrier also  pointed out that the crowds were well behaved this year in contrast to last year.

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