By Sham Ali
(Celebrating 46th Anniversary): – A steady inning from Ahmad Dodson against Punjabi Eagles at Drew Park last Sunday secured Cosmos’s position on top of the points table and a coveted spot in the semi final. Dodson has played a crucial role for Cosmos with his medium pace bowling throughout this abbreviated T20 competition, but in this match, he turned tables with a composed knock in the second inning to finish the match with an excellent all-round performance.
Cosmos had managed to restrict Punjab to just 123 runs in their allotted 20 overs after Devindra Balgobin won the toss and elected to bowl. Young Alvin Gobin struck an early blow in the first over of the match with a good outswinger that added some sparks to this team in these early morning fixtures, he went on to complete an excellent spell – his best so far. Thereafter, Cosmos kept picking up wickets at regular intervals that kept the opposition on the backfoot throughout the inning as the Cosmos attack was a lot more disciplined in this match. Despite a few regulation chances that went begging, they still managed to restrict this opposition to just 123 all out.
Cosmos, in their reply, got off to a good start and was cruising along nicely with opening batsmen Vitindra Koomar (27) taking the attack to the opposition with a few crisply drives through cover point region as he and Antanio Rooplall featured in a solid opening partnership of 41 in the 5th over. Koomar went pushing uppishly to point and thereafter Cosmos stumbled to 63 for 5 by the 11th over courtesy of a few injudicious shots from the inform Latchman Bisram who holed out on the extra-cover boundary. Alvin Gobin charged down the wicket and found the man on the midwicket boundary. Mahendra Parsaram was the victim of an extremely poor caught behind decision down the legside, and Devindra Balgobin obliged on the mid-off boundary.
Through the airy-fairy show, Antonio Rooplall remained unruffled at the other end playing a steady hand. Dodson was the next man in and he gave the inning the impetus it needed making full use of the loose deliveries and watchful on the good ones. Dodson and Antanio Rooplall (29) proceeded to neatly stitched together a crucial 6th wicket partnership of 54 runs with no further hiccups. With Cosmos in the safe zone and, Dodson fittingly closed the inning with a thumping maximum over mid-on for a 28-ball 46 runs that included 5-4’s and 2-6’s to take the total to 126 for 6 in the 19th over as Cosmos sealed a convincing 4-wicket victory and position themselves on top of the points table.
Nov. 8 – Cosmos 46th Annual Presentation, Dinner & Dance at Liberty Palace Banquet Hall.
