By Sham Ali
(Celebrating 45th Anniversary – Match #1273 / 20240804):- The unpredictability of the weather forecast on this day, can at times, aptly applied to Cosmos batting this season. The heavy overcast conditions with threatening thunder storms that suddenly gave way to bright sunshine virtually summed up Cosmos batting performances this season. At times, it looked quite dismal, and on other occasions quite powerful, and the latter was on display at the historic Walker Park, Staten Island when Cosmos visited Staten Island cricket club last Sunday for the last scheduled match in the National Cricket League Division One competition.
The one hundred and fifty years old Staten Island cricket club has had a rich history, where greats like Don Bradman once graced the greens, and it was the venue for another scintillating batting display from Cosmos courtesy of a magnificent
century from the blade of Antanio Rooplall’s bat as Cosmos plundered the opposition’s bowling attack on their way to a massive total. This Cosmos batting order which appeared quite brittle in the last two matches had an awakening, and looked like an indomitable force in this game, unfortunately, it was a little too late to shake the points table for a spot in the top four as they fell a point down to fifth position.
Rooplall dug his heals in after Ryan Ganesh won the toss and elected to bat. However, before there was even a slight bruise on the shine of the ball, Cosmos found themselves in some early trouble with the loss of two quick wickets, Alex Chunilall and Akash Rahim, in the first two overs. For a brief phase, it looked like the same old story again of dark clouds and an early day.
However, Yogeshwar Ramgobin and Rooplall orchestrated a massive recovery as they took the attack to the opposition and decided to fight fire with fire. Ramgobin was blazing along nicely, and his battle with paceman W. Naizi, running in from a lengthy run up, was short-lived when he thumped him straight back for two massive sixes. Naizi though will mature into a very good fast bowler. The battle lines were drawn, mano-o-mano, and the next short ball went over mid-wicket.
This pair appeared immovable as they stitched together an aggressive partnership and is one of Cosmos’s best batting performances this season. Ramgobin raced to his half-century in only 26-balls when he took Naizi over mid-wicket. Rooplall at the other end was rather circumspect in the beginning working the ball around the wicket, but then the Ramgo wind blew him onto the stage and he delivered a telling mid-section blow that cleared mid-off, he then peppered the mid-wicket boundary three times and almost cleaned up the cameraman ducking for cover, to bring up his half century.
This pair was blazing along with reckless abandon, and Ramgobin brutal on anything that was in his zone, while Rooplall was more measured as he drove through the extra-cover region like a beauty in is red convertible. It was a spectacular Sunday afternoon cricket on full display. They brought up the 136th century partnership for Cosmos in the 12th over when Rooplall cleared the mid-wicket boundary.
With the score on 145 for 2 in the 14th over, Ramgobin had disappointment written on his face when he tucked the last ball before the break, a wide delivery to the man at backward point for 39-ball 75 runs that included six sixes and four fours which brought an end to a partnership that had yielded 139 runs, and the 31st highest partnership for Cosmos.
Rooplall though remained unfazed at the fall for Ramgobin’s wicket and after the break; he looked determined for a big score, and fighting like a warrior without a weapon. This pitch is a featherbed, and it can be regarded as Rooplall’s hunting ground. He scored his maiden century for Cosmos on this ground last year and he looked poised for another ton. He played beautifully with such maturity and grew in statue through the seventies and into the eighties. He took on the short ball with an uncomplicated relish and unfurled a sweetly timed cover drive that would make the sunset jealous with its beauty. He moved into the nineties with a dismissive pull over mid-wicket and then ensured that he kept a straight bat engaged the ‘V’ with two doubles and a rasping single to mid-off to register his second century. That was the 100th century for Cosmos. Rooplall was mindful on this occasion not to punch the ground in celebration as he did the last time and broke his hand and was out for the season, instead, he was a more subdued. You are learning son.
Devindra Balgobin and Jieunit Mingo had a little cameo while they partnered with Rooplall to add two good partnerships of 40 and 60 runs respectively, that took Cosmos to 248 for 5 in the 27th over, before Rooplall went for a classy 118 runs that included 9-4’s and 6-6’s, and the 24th highest on the Cosmos Centurions List. With that inning, Rooplall would be more than happy if he can wrap up that pitch and take it with him wherever he is playing.
And just as the Antonio highlights had concluded, the young sensation, the promising, 15yr old, Alvin Gobin walked to the wicket as if he belongs. He played a solid drive off paceman Naizi, but then under-edged the next ball onto his stumps in an attempted pull. Towgeshwar Thakoordeen didn’t trouble the scorecard too much with his usual adventurous single, and it was left to captain Ganesh and the flamboyant Doneshwar Dayanand to soak up the last two overs. Dayanand was so solid in defense, that he later said, he knew that yours truly was padded up to bat and ensured that he batted to the end, what-a-guy, as the Cosmos inning closed on an imposing 264 for 8 in their allotted 30 overs. W. Naizi took 3 for 41, S. Sackroolar 2 for 38.
The inevitability of the result of this match was written in ‘bright letters’ on the dark clouds that suddenly crept in and were hovering above just before the Cosmos inning had ended. It took only four overs into the second inning before the skies opened up to cool things off and put and end to the match.
Similarly, the outcomes of a few other matches were predetermined where teams engaged each other to forfeit the match to gain cheap points in order to get into the playoffs. That type of behavior borders on wickedness, and those who initiated the act and those who ascribe to it are guilty of dragging cricket, a pastime sport in this area, into the gutter. Any attempt to tamper with the points table by predetermined the outcome of a match; even to the merest fraction is, quite frankly despicable. Many have seen that behavior, in some form, at the international level, and the shame it has brought onto those you engaged in such act. And now, even recreational cricket has descended into such fraudulent farce and is being poisoned at the local level. Shocking, it is done openly and so brazenly by those who have no moral compunction while they giggle and bask in that behavior to win sugarcake money.
Cosmos Masters will play Super Kings Masters on Saturday at Gateway.
