Eastern American Cricket Association
Enmore Cricket Club having secured the number one spot by winning all of their scheduled games in the round robin stage of the EACA power 40 B division competitions took on NY All-stars in one of the semi-final games at Bay Park last Sunday. All-stars by failing to produce 7 players at the start of the game automatically lost the toss by default and also lost 4 overs due to the late start of the match.
The dependable Safraz Ali hit 57 in Enmore win. Photo by Shiek Mohamed
Enmore opened their batting with the dependable Safraz Ali and Kumar Dindial. Dindial was the first to go caught off Balgrim Datt for 10 runs; wickets started falling at regular intervals. The outfield was so soggy that Enmore first boundary came off the bat of Safraz Ali pulling to backward square in the 21st over. Mark Gomes, Derrick Kallicharran and Saheed Mohamed stuck around for a while and rendered support to Safraz before he was out caught for a well played 57. Derrick struck two magnificent sixes before he was out caught for 20, Saheed struck one six and one four in making 17 and Mark made 16 with two boundaries.
During Enmore innings the Nassau county police stopped the game because some of the players did not pay the $10.00 fee for entry to the park with their cars. At the resumption, the game was reduced to 35 overs. It appears that All-stars best bowler (to my mind), due to his late arrival was only given the ball to bowl the last over and the batsman facing him was no other that the man himself, Jason Thomas. Mattin was very hostile and the first three delivers flew pass Jason outside the off stump. The crowd egging on Jason to have a go so that the score could go pass 200 charged down the track the next delivery and played a handsome shot to the third man boundary for 4.
Enmore Batting:
Safraz Ali: 57 – 2×4, D. Kallicharran: 20- 2×6, S. Mohammed: 17 2×4 and M. Gomes 16 2×4
Bowling for All-stars:
Rahi 2 for 19, H. Singh 3 for 61 and S. Ahmed 2 for 28
All-stars in reply were 133 for 9 wickets when the 31 overs that they were allotted to bat, ran out. They found the bowling of Montana, Senior and Derrick too difficult to put away until at the end when their best batsman Hussain who made a brilliant century against Enmore in a previous encounter and single handed won that game for his team, decide to take the attack to Derrick who was bowling his last over. He struck Derrick magnificently over extra cover for two consecutive boundaries, a six and a four before Derrick got the final say and had him caught an bowled for 35. Other support came from Faruque 19, Deane having been peppered by Senior who was hostile off a short run made 15 and Maharoof made 17. Jason Thomas and Mark Gomes then encountered for four quick wickets when the allotted 31 overs were up.
All-stars Batting:
Hussain: 35- 2×4, 1×6, Faruque: 19- 3×4 and Maharoof: 17 – 1×6, 1×4
Bowling for Enmore:
D. Kallicharran 3 for 31, J. Thomas 2 for 7 and M. Gomes 2 for 2.
Enmore will now wait to play the finals against the winner of the other semi-final whose game is currently under protest.