By Sham Ali
(Celebrating 45th Anniversary – Match #1278 / 20240915):- Cosmos gave a reasonably good account of themselves against a formidable Richmond Hill team last Sunday at Baisley Cage in the New York National Cricket League T20 competition after Richmond Hill won the toss and without hesitation elected to bat.
Paceman Keifer Phill made an early inroad when he removed N. Khan taken by Junick Mingo at mid-off in the second over. However, Azeemuddin Khan and Trevor Henry took full advantage of the powerplay overs as they kept the run rate at a healthy ten before yours truly account for Khan (19) at mid-wicket. Junick Mingo, the Chris Jordan lookalike was a bit nippy off the pitch accounted for K. Sewnarine (7) when he cramped him for room off an attempted pull.
A crucial 40-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Henry and L. Bisram kept the score ticking along after Henry was badly missed on the mid-off boundary very early in his inning. He then got into his grove by neatly piercing the backward point region on two occasions and followed up with a few lusty drives through extra-cover before the left-arm orthodox Towgeshwar Thakoordeen drew Henry (48) out and D. Balgobin picked off his first stumping with the score on 110 for 4 off 10.4 overs. Altaaf Habibulla then joined Bisram for a quick-fire 5th wicket partnership of 42 runs in just three overs. Bisram (36) took a liking for the mid-wicket fence, while Habibulla tapped into his repertoire and delivered a 12-ball cameo of 29 runs that included two dismissive maximums.
And just as the partnership was beginning to look ominous at 152 for 4 in the 13 overs Sohan Dass made an incision and had Bisram caught on the mid-off boundary and Habibulla holed out at midwicket. Keifer Phill returned and immediately picked up two wickets as Cosmos clawed themselves back into the match with the opposition on 167 for 9 in the 17th over. But on too many occasions in this match Cosmos missed too many simple opportunities at crucial times courtesy of an extremely poor fielding performance. There is a price for drop catches, and in the last three overs with the last pair at the wicket, Cosmos leaked 47 runs as S. Dwarka (43) unleashed flurry of maximums, six to be exact, to take Richmond Hill to 214 all out in their allotted 20 overs. K. Phill took 3 for 26, while S. Dass and T. Thakoordeen took 2 wickets each for 46 and 47 runs respectively.
In rear sight for Cosmos in a competition match Antonio Rooplall had a privileged company in Towgeshwar Thakoordeen whose move up the order was likened to reading the team roster upside-down, some sparks may fly at that interpretation. But for all the naysayers “opportunity knocks but once at a poor man’s door “ and Thakoordeen may have well stake claim to his promotion up the order as he and Rooplall posted the only meaningful partnership of 31 runs the Cosmos inning.
Cosmos didn’t offer any meaningful treat to the opposition bowling attack as their batting performance mirror that on the field earlier. Rooplall showed some resistance, but once he was out, Cosmos batsmen swung for the hills and the order was a reduced to procession, albeit a Cosmos second eleven. Daniel Chunilall stuck around and played with good authority, but watched in silence as stumps tumbled the other end. K. Balgobin ballooned one back to the bowler, and in the next ball, K. Phill holed out on the deep point boundary.
Then a demolition in the 17th over orchestrated by medium pacer, K. Sewnarine, summed up Cosmos day when Mingo swung and miss, and didn’t bother to look back. Doneshwar Dayanand, promoted up the order was fully armored played back while making room towards square-leg, had his furniture dismantled in the next ball. Bavesh Utam suffered the same fate two balls later when he swung for the hills and the Cosmos inning closed on 106 all out. It was K. Sewnarine took on the destroyer role with his with excellent figures of 6 for 16 in 3.1 overs as Richmond Hill sealed a convincing 108 runs victory.
Cosmos will play Majestic on Sunday
ALL ARE INVITED TO
COSMOS 45TH ANNIVERSARY PRESENTATION DINNER AND DANCE
November 9, 2024. at the elegant Liberty Palace Banquet Hall, 130-11 Liberty Ave, 11419.
