By Sham Ali
(Celebrating 44th Anniversary – (Match #1223):- An inspired opening spell of medium pace bowling from Gohan Gourdeen and Ryan Ganesh dismantled the opposition’s top order by sending the first six batsmen back to the pavilion with Gourdeen being the destroyer in chief.
The southpaw Gourdeen had a fairy-tale beginning on his debut match for Cosmos as he delivered an impressive spell of left-arm medium pace bowling. At the end of his spell Renegades were in some deep trouble at 44 for 6 in 10 overs. Gourdeen running into the wind got the ball to swing late into the batsmen and the occasional one that moved away quite nicely as he bagged a fifer, 5 for 22 off 6 overs. That was the 68th five wicket hauls by a Cosmos player, and the first Cosmos player to accomplish the feat on debut.
At the change, Renegades offered some resistance with two partnerships of twenty runs, but Cosmos captain Ganesh kept a grip on the match as his bowlers picked up another three wickets to leave the opposition at 85 for 9. Cosmos had done well to restrict Renegades, and had they held on to simple catch from R. Jaspaul before he was in double figures off the bowling of Thakoordeen with the score on 90 for 9, the target would be very different.
However, a 19-ball 44 runs (1-4, 6-6’s) cameo from Jaspaul resulted in a crucial 10th wicket partnership that propelled his team a respectable total of 132 all out in 22.2 overs. That inning would later prove to be crucial, and a match-winning one. R. Gourdeen took 5 for 22, and A. Rooplall 2 for 35.
In their reply, Cosmos got off to a flyer and at 41 without loss in 5 overs they appeared poised to get to their target. But like so many of this generation of young cricketers, the ability to occupy the wicket and build an inning appears to be a lost art, and the T20 airy-fairy route seems to be the new high. Apparently, Cosmos batsmen had some kind of extraterrestrial vision to finish the match in ten overs, however, here on earth in this match, the match is won only when you scored one more than the opposition total. Roger that!
An early change in the Renegades attack with V. Persaud started the rot with a series of injudicious shots from Cosmos batsmen. Alex Chunilall (16) played an ambitious drive at the second ball from V. Persaud and nicked behind. Next ball, Yudesh Shivpersaud played a headless drive, and nicked behind for a golden duck (at least its golden). With two wickets falling in successive deliveries, Shane Singh (20) then wacked a short ball handed the man at mid-on a simple catch, and with that after being 41 for 0, Cosmos were 41 for 3 in 6.2 overs.
Antonio Rooplall and Akash Rahim attempted to repair the inning, and with the score on 56 for 3, Rahim got one that dragged him a bit as it rose sharply off the wicket and nicked his glove on it way to the wicketkeeper. That spell from Persaud gave Renegades the momentum with a strong counterattack that dented the Cosmos top order and Renegades smelled blood with four wickets in the can.
With 18 overs remaining to get 77 runs, and the inform Rooplall at the wicket, Cosmos was still in the match with a good fighting chance with three capable batsmen in Balgobin, Bissoondial, Ganesh still to come. Rooplall was perhaps Cosmos’s hope of becoming a hero in this match, but went to zero in a flash when he ran down the wicket to medium pacer R. Persaud and a played a hair-brained swipe and top edge a skier as the wicketkeeper waited for the feast. Rooplall will be well advised to wrap that shot in a nice package and flush it to a place of no return.
The young Mikhael Bissoondial played within his limitations and held on as Balgobin pulled a short ball to the man at deep square leg, and Ganesh turned for a suicidal second run. Bissoondial held on before he missed a full-toss, and Jaden Ramlakhan holed out on the mid-wicket boundary.
Renegades had held a firm grip on the match by the break, and proceeded to tighten that grip with a disciplined bowling attack as Cosmos delivered a witless batting performance and were washed away for 87 all out in 22.2 overs. Renegades sealed a convincing 46 runs victory. T. Bishundat took 3 for 15, and V. Persaud 3 for 17.
Cosmos will play West Coast Warriors next Sunday at Randalls Island.
