Cosmos defeated Super Kings in a Humdinger
By Shivnan S Ramjattan
Well, suppose you think that 50 and 60-year-olds couldn’t produce exciting finishes at such an age in their careers.
In that case, you should have been at Gateway Park in Brooklyn, NY. last Saturday It was simply outstanding gamesmanship to the end, despite a flamboyant 124 not out by Devon Campbell for Super Kings in a losing cause, and a total team effort batting response from Cosmos, which led them to a well-deserved victory.
Super Kings Masters won the toss on a beautiful day made for cricket at the Roy A. Sweeny Oval in Gateway, Brooklyn, NY, and without hesitation elected to bat.
Their openers Devon Campbell and Joe Hartley put together 48 before Kawal Persaud had the first breakthrough, Hartley caught by Kippings and followed immediately with Nolan Samuel for a duck.
However, that would be the only reprieve as Campbell took the cosmos bowlers apart with some brilliant stroke-play, sparing none on his way to a century that included eight fours and five sixes, and shared a third-wicket partnership of 149 from 126 deliveries with Leroy Skeen that propelled the scorecard to 197.
The introduction of Kippings would see the back of Skeen for 51 from 59 deliveries in the 28th over, and then Rohan Knight went cheaply to Shameer Ameerullah in the 29th over, leaving Super Kings to a total of 212 from their allotted 30 overs.
A total team effort, with a batting display, led the Cosmos’ pursuit of a victory. With a required rate of 7.06 an over, Kawal Persaud and Ganesh Ramsingh led from the front with an opening stand of 109 from 105 deliveries with controlled shot selection. However, Super Kings would have some reprieve as Ramsingh went for 42, followed by Royo Sankar (6) run out via a horrible mix-up.
With a further 94 required from 66, Aggrey Salmon clobbered a quick 26 from 12, before being given out caught at the wicket. Mark Kippings, coming at number five, joined Kawal Persaud and cracked a quick 12 from 6 before being given LBW, with the score on 163.
Sunil Narine, coming at number six, partnered with Kawal Persaud. The pair reduced the deficit further, Sohan Dass replaced Persaud, who was then dismissed for a well-made 58 from 78. With a further 50 needed from 35, Dass and Narine reduced the deficit by an additional 30 runs with some smart batting, both by Dass and Narine, and sending the Super Kings camp into chaos. Narine was soon caught for 17 from 13 and with the score on 193 from 27.3 overs. With 20 needed from 15, Ramsaroop was bowled without scoring.
Shameer Ameerullah joined Skipper Sohan Dass. As Dass Took control, swung at every delivery, picking up doubles, a boundary before cracking one over the midwicket fence for six in the 29th over, which yielded 18 runs. With two required for victory from six deliveries, Ameerullah then pulled the 2nd delivery to the midwicket boundary to a wild celebration from the Cosmos camp. Skipper Sohan Dass was unbeaten with 26 from 17, with two fours and a six.
