On Easter Saturday evening, in the Tri-State area only Winter Indoor Cricket Tournament, “Galaxy Cricket Club” defeated “Royals” in an enthralling finals, which embodied the thrills, spills, and glorious uncertainties that were a dominant feature of the matches, throughout ICUSA 2009/2010 Tournament.
Galaxy captain Krishna collects the winning trophy from Lalta Persaud.
The Players on the field, and the Administrators beyond the boundary, did an exemplary job in providing Cricket Lovers with an absorbing Cricket Tournament which fully captured the beauty and enchantment of what in bygone days was referred to as “The Summer Game” in the Commonwealth of Nations.
In winning this year’s Tournament, in a low scoring Finals, Galaxy has become ICUSA’s Annual Winter Cricket League champions for the second consecutive year and they have the distinction of being the only team that has participated in every one of the annual ICUSA Tournaments since its establishment in April 2001.
The match was serenaded, by the National Anthem of the Land, as the players and officials gathered in ICUSA Cricketers Paradise to pay homage to Whitney Houston’s rendition of the Anthem. This dignified gesture which was unique in the framework of the Tri-State cricket culture set the tone for the major event of the Tournament and it was well received by the appreciative spectators.
Galaxy won the toss and elected to field. “Royals” batted with their usual display of outward confidence. They maintained the batting order that they often used in the Competition with captain Mahadeo Prashad and Sean Thompson opening the batting. They put on 29 runs batting under building pressure created by “Galaxy” bowlers Sunil and Krishna.
Derick McDonald collects the MVP award.
The bowlers were backed up by outstanding fielding by a team with firm commitment and intense hunger for victory and pride. Both batsmen were dismissed in their overs and by the time they were replaced by the second pair of batsmen the foundation for a tight and intriguing contest was well in place.
The second pair of Kumar Nandalall and Mark Gomes added a further 37 runs to take the score to 66 as they faced some very disciplined accurate bowling in which they faced exactly 24 deliveries that was devoid of wides or no-balls a unique feature which no other pair of batsmen encountered in the entire Tournament so far.. With the score on 66 “Royals” last pair of batsmen-Deryck Mc Donald and Theron Blair, arrived at the crease with a challenge before them and a hall filled with hushed spectators as the game became tense and absorbing.
Once again “Galaxy” bowling was elevated to the improbable, though not the impossible standards. They produced just 24 deliveries of highly disciplined bowling and excellent fielding which pressured the batsmen into errors that resulted in 4 dismissals. Those dismissals featured a run out and a set of brilliant catches which was the product of focused thinking by the fielding team as opposed to profuse chattering which usually adversely affects the concentration of fielders. With the last pair of batsmen losing of 20 runs by the dismissal route the innings ended on a meager 84 runs which was below the average 1st. inning total for this competition.
Captain Krishna Harrichand bowling spell read 2 overs 2 wickets for 0 runs and it included a stiff return catch which was well taken. The bowlers delivered exactly 74 deliveries in the innings. There were only 2 wide deliveries which was an ideal model bowling display to be emulated by young cricketers.
Some of the spectators on hand to witness the final.
As the innings break occurred, “Galaxy” was sensing victory. “Royals” was regretting their inadequate batting performance and preparing their damage control tactics to perform at their very best to repair the damage and eke out a victory. “Galaxy”, however, was showing by their body language that they were committing themselves to ensuring that they grasp the opportunity facing them and prevent thoughtless batting from impeding their chances of victory.
The experienced and highly disciplined Kawal Persaud combined with the cool, calm and calculative Conrad Carbon to open the batting. They put on a 29 runs opening stand to keep up with the required run chase of 7 runs per over. The pair batting was very focused in the faced of high quality opening bowling by the Tournament’s most outstanding all-rounder Deryck Mc Donald whose persistent yorkers and testing swing bowling demanded a batting response that only an above average batsman could have handled.
Unfortunately for “Royals” and the hard-working McDonald, who knew quite well that dismissals were important, “Galaxy” had such a batter in Kawal Persaud who calmly countered McDonald’s efforts with intense caution and ultra technically correct batting which was a useful lesson, in the art of batsmanship, to behold.
Ryan Gildhari and Krishna Harrichand of Galaxy.
The second pair of batters – Udesh and Sunil built on the foundation of their openers in the face of high quality effort from “Royals” whose captain was doing his best with a variety of bowling changes and aggressive field placing to get dismissals as the fielders were on their toes giving their best efforts to get back in the tense contest.
The batters took the score to 63 and left the last pair to enter the arena with their team in the ascendency. Captain Krishna Harrichand and Ryan Gildhari appeared with the team needing 22 for victory. They batted sensibly to see through their 4 overs without any alarms and closed “Galaxy’s” innings off at 92 to win the game and the Tournament. “Royals” bowled 11 wides and got 1 dismissal in the innings.
The Finals was competitive right on to the last overs in which dismissals could have brought it home for the “Royals”. “Royals” put in a very admirable competitive performance after their dismal batting display. “Galaxy” maintained their reputation as an exciting cricket team which over the years has provided entertainment, spectators delight and enduring sportsmanship in ICUSA’S Winter Tournaments.
They are worthy candidates to promote cricket as “a game of glorious uncertainty” and one of their main strengths is that they have been able have a core group of players who have been loyal to them for many years and this fact enhanced the team spirit that served them well.
The presentation ceremony for the Tournament occurred immediately after the game as the Administrators posted all the statistics in minute details to the level of batsmen strike rates and bowler’s economy rates. Derek Mc Donald was adjudged the Tournament’s MVP ICUSA’S Cadet Corp. opened the ceremony with an appreciative item which included a symbolic Birthday Party in honor of ICUSA’S 9th Anniversary.
Mr. Karnie Lee, ICUSA’S marketing consultant, recited ICUSA’S solidarity poem. The ICUSA Tournament officials gave a synopsis of the Tournament both from a qualitative and quantitative perspective highlighting the strengths and weaknesses that were on exhibition. They conveyed their gratitude to a number of persons and institutions who supported them in making this Competition the best of all of ICUSA’S Annual Winter Tournaments.
Among others, whose support was noted were the Mirzas, the Gonzales, and the Ragoobir’s families, the cricketers, especially the under 19 youths who made up approximately 40 % of the players in the Tournament; and the news media, especially Cricket International and www.newyorkcricket.com.
Reporting for ICUSA from its Cricketers Paradise