By Sham Ali
(Celebrating 45th Anniversary – Match #1260 / 20240616):- It is always an encouraging sign, for a team that is beginning to find its ‘footing’ to have a different player stepped up in a match and register a quality performance. That has been the story at the start of the season, and it was on display again in this match again BellHills at Ferry Point Park #2, after Captain Ryan Ganesh won the toss and elected to bat.
On this occasion, it was two of Cosmos’s batsmen who were up for the challenge. A good opening partnership between Yogeshwar Ramgobin and Alex Chunilall took the score to 30 runs in the 5th over before Ramgobin and Chunilall got themselves in a terrible mixed-up. Ramgobin pushed the ball back passed the bowler, it got stuck in the grass with both batsman doing the headless jig and without a clear call from either batsman, Chunilall was left stranded half way down the wicket. Antonio Rooplall, one of Cosmos’s lucky charm is badly in need of a shine in June to get rid of the winter rust as his ‘luck’ with the bat continues when he pushed gently into the hands of the man at short mid-wicket and trudged off with a load of disappointment on his face. Celebrations will be short-lived though because he is a good batsman, and it will not be too long before he gets his name into the runs column.
Akash Rahim coming off of a patient half century last Sunday on the adjacent wicket, was next to go when flashed hard at a wide delivery that took the outside edge and flew to the man at short third-man. At that point, Cosmos was in a bit of bother at 57 for 3 in the 10th over. However, Ramgobin curb his usual aggressive approach after three wickets tumbled around him and was contented in picking up the singles mixed with the occasional boundary, as he and Daniel Chunilall proceeded to repair the inning. Chunilall batted with good authority as he took the attack to this opposition. He unleashed a flurry of dismissive pulls over mid-wicket to anything that was short and on offer for five maximums that would have cleared and boundary. Cosmos looked set for a big score as this pair, Ramgobin and Chunilall, stitched together a crucial 4th wicket century partnership of 107 runs in just ten overs to put Cosmos on a solid foundation. That was the 136th century partnership for Cosmos and it ranked the 89th highest on the Cosmos list. Chunilall was timing the ball well, and he looked set for a big score, but unfortunately, he missed a head-high full-toss and was hit above the eye as the ball ricocheted to the fine-leg boundary. He retired hurt on 47 with just a slight bump.
Ramgobin got to his half-century before he was out caught at extra-cover for a well played 54 runs (6-4’s, 3-6’s). Devindra Balgobin went fishing for just a dozen, however, Jieunit Mingo (23) and captain Ryan Ganesh (17) took Cosmos score over the two hundred mark with an important 37-runs partnership. Chunilall returned and brought up his half-century with a maximum over mid-on, before he went for a 36-ball 57 runs (3-4’s, 5-6’s). Young Debutant Bavesh Utam had an eventful few balls that yielded eight with two french-cuts that raced to the fine-leg boundary. The Cosmos inning closed on a competitive 233 runs all out in their allotted 30 overs. R. Sookhoo took 2 for 39; G. Seoraj got 2 for 27.
It would require a huge effort from this opposition, if they were to back up all the noise, to counter a good Cosmos bowling attack on a two-paced wicket. BellHills got off to a good start before the southpaw Gohan Gourdeen, in his third over, got one that jagged back late and cleaned up H. Ebrahim. The Cosmos attack led by Captain Ganesh kept this opposition on the back foot despite a good 44 runs partnership between M. Lall(43) and G. Kumar(19) taking the score to 73 in the 10th over. At the change, Mingo, knocked over Lall mid-stump. He then cleaned up Kumar. There wasn’t much noise thereafter, except for the usual hot-air. Cosmos attack kept picking up wickets at regular intervals, and it was backed up by some outstanding fielding notably from young Alvin Gobin who seemed much improved this season. He led his youth team to an emphatic victory on Saturday with a match-winning inning that required him to bat with the tail-enders, well done young man.
A late spark from D. Puran who looked like a good young player, was just that, a spark, as he was left playing a lone hand scoring a good 45 runs (3-4’s, 4-6’s), before D. Chunilall cleaned him up. The younger Alex Chunilall, right arm off spin, then proceeded to put the dent into this opposition batting order with three quick wickets to give Cosmos a convincing 69 runs victory. A. Chunilall took 3 for 22; D. Chunilall got 2 for 8, J. Mingo 2 for 19.
Cosmos Masters will play Village Rams Masters at Gateway on Saturday at 1pm.
Cosmos ‘A’ will play NY Alliance on Sunday at Baisley Pond at 1:30pm.
