By Sham Ali
(Celebrating 32nd Anniversary):- Cosmos chiseled off the remaining flakes from a long icy winter and welcomed a warm May weekend with a feeling of much relief as they chalked up a convincing 168-runs victory over Islandwide at Canarsie park last Sunday.
Lenroy Whyte picked up four wickets in Cosmos win over Islandwide last Sunday.
On an unusually warm early May, Ganesh Ramsingh and Faisal Taj strolled to the wicket after Islandwide won the toss and inserted to bat. Taj (6) was first to go when he sliced a short ball to backward point in the 2nd over of Fontenelle. Rev. Jerry Bowen, who was perhaps still in his Mother’s day sermon mood, when he snatched an ankle height blinder – that was indeed a catch to preach about. Cyril Choy joined Ramsingh and the pair posted a good 39-runs partnership before Choy (33) lobbed one back to Fontenelle, 54 for 2. Keith Edie looked a bit unsettled and eventually had his woodwork rattled.
Ramsingh dug in with that reliable vertebral column on a tricky pitch as he and Sohan Dass, two seasoned campaigners, posted a crucial 56-run partnership. Ramsingh (48) then got one that nipped back cramping him for room as it clipped his off stump. From a commanding position of 127 for 3 in 20 overs Cosmos stumbled to 141 for 7 by the 24 over. A dogged rearguard from Cosmos lower order gave the Cosmos inning a late spark with Tegana Mckenzie(21), Sham Ali (26), and Ralston Levy(29 not out), pushed the total to a challenging 219 for 9 at the end of the allotted 35 overs. H. Mathurin took 3 for 31, A. Fontenelle 3 for 41, and R. Knight 2 for 41.
Sohan Dass appeared completely thawed from the winter as he found early swing and pegged away at a nagging line with a probing spell. He drew early blood in first over when Taj took a stinger above his head at 2nd slip off a flash from danger-man R. Moncherry. Lenroy Whyte then obliged quite comfortable to an upish drive form K. Narla. Dass was clinical but Taj then Floored a regulation catch from R. Knight in Dass 2nd over. Sham Ali then clipped A. Fontenelle’s (10) edge and Ramsingh accepted at 1st slip, 15 for 3 off 5 overs.
Knight and Mathurin then posted a good 39-run partnership before wicketkeeper Choy picked Knight (14) bails off a Dass’s outswinger. At 45 for 4 in the 11th overs the opposition was limping and Cosmos attack backed the middle order into a corner and went for the jugular. Lenroy Whyte replaced Ali with an inspired spell. He was the destroyer-in-chief as he managed to extract some life off a docile pitch with a steady line. Four overs later the opposition middle order was in deep trouble when Whyte cart wheeled the stumps of the next three batsmen, Taj then held on to one at 2nd slip, and Ramsingh spilled one that went in and out low down at 1st slip to deny Whyte of a fifer. Ricky Kissoon then mopped up the last two batsmen to leave Islandwide on 51 all out as Cosmos wrapped up convincing victory. Dass returned with 3 for 9 off 7 overs, Whyte 4 for 8 off 4 overs and Kissoon 2 for 3.
Cosmos will play United at Floyd Bennett on Sunday.