Cosmos Off To A ‘Flyer’ In Season Opener
By Sham Ali
(Celebrating 42nd Anniversary – Match #1171):- Wow, it feels like life again! Catches falling, batsman blazing away, same old umpire frets. Cricket is actually playing, albeit, under a new covid19 normal. It is a marked contrast from the end of the 2019 season, and the doom, gloom and uncertainty in 2020 which created a numbing feeling of uncertainty. The once pleasing union between hands and nose became enemies and was forced to consciously avoid contact with each other so that one does not become part of the statistical records. One’s own life was hanging on a thread that could snap at anything if only you were unlucky to be exposed to a deadly virus that brought the world to a standstill.
How we wished for and waited impatiently for a miracle, a vaccine, and some much needed therapy, cricket, to be able to breathe freely again. Well, on last Sunday it seems like the old engine was ready to fire-up again and cricket was in the air. Cosmos, of course, had a good breather when they took the field against Majestic at Cunningham Park in the newly formed New York National Cricket League. Chris Patadin took full control as he chewed into a rather pedestrian bowling attack from Cosmos which served up an entire menu of full-toss, short-pitch bowling. Derick Narine (8) went early when Khemraj Conyers held on to a brilliant running catch on the mid-wicket boundary in the 2nd over off Glenford Shanghie.
But Cosmos bowlers struggled to find control as Patadin played freely after he was let off when he was on 30 courtesy of Naresh Persaud making a meal of two comfortable chances on the mid-wicket boundary, and again on the mid-off boundary, before Conyers held on comfortably to one on the mid-on boundary of Sheoraj Harrychandra. By which time, Patadin had blazed his way to a career best, a 90-ball 152 runs that included 24-4’s and 3-6’s. Shane Grant held on to stunner when he dove forward at backward point and came up with a stunning catch inches off the ground to remove Avi Dhanpaul(6) off Daniel Chunilall. However, Patadin was in full command, and after that inning from Patadin Cosmos wished they were still in quarantine. Shafeek Khan got 26 as Majestic posted an imposing total of 314 for 9 off this allotted 35 overs. D. Chunilall took 3 for 59, S. Harrychandra took 3 for 15.
Cosmos in reply struggled to find any momentum as they kept loosing wickets at regular intervals. D. Chunilall (19) and N. Persaud (11) got into double figures, while Khemraj Conyers, after a tidy spell, followed up with solid 53 runs (2-4’s, 3-6’s) to highlight a good all-round performance, and added some respectability to Cosmos total of 131 all out in the 33rd over in what turned out to a one-sided encounter. Robin Rooplall took 4 for 16, D. Narine got 2 for 15, and A. Dhanpaul 2 for 22.
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