By Sham Ali
(Celebrating 47th Anniversary – Match# 1345): – Cosmos could not have asked for a better start to their 2026 season, and Ghanam Tariq ensured that his team remains on course when he slammed a brilliant century last Sunday against Alliance/Renegades at Beach 32. Tariq has carried the weight of Cosmos batting on his shoulders in the last couple of matches, and he did so again after Cosmos won the toss and elected to bat.
Cosmos inning got off to a good start after Antanio Rooplall and Chatram Nauth posted a solid opening partnership of 66-runs before Nauth drove uppishly to extra-cover. Tariq then joined Rooplall and they delivered a clinical batting display. Tariq in particular mixed aggression with a solid defense while Rooplall was more measured. If the stand between Rooplall and Nauth looked most gritty, then it was the one between Rooplall and Tariq that was most fluid. Rooplall was quite measured and was playing an anchored role as he approached his half-century in the fifteenth over. Tariq spanked a few boundaries and was beginning to shift gears. He brought up his half-century with a thumping maximum over extra-cover, by which time, the partnership with Rooplall had swelled to 105 runs. That partnership was registered as the 142nd century partnership in Cosmos and the 88th highest.
With the score on 171 in 21 overs. Rooplall appeared to be in good command of his inning and well poised for a big score but then he lost his concentration and played an ill-advised tuck across the line to a straight ball and went via lbw for an excellent 60 runs of 48-balls (7-4’s, 1-6).
Tariq moved into overdrive and unfurled a series of blistering square-drives that would make a morning rose jealous and peppered the cover-point boundary with equal disdain. He was equally belligerent over the mid-wicket boundary to the short ball. In full throttle, the 3rd wicket partnership with Govin Persaud raced to 55 runs in just 22-balls, before Persaud (19) holed out on the mid-wicket boundary. Tariq got into the nineties with two sumptuous drives through extra-cover, and then took the much-coveted single to a rousing applause from his teammates as he raised his bat to acknowledged his first century for Cosmos; a feat that had eluded him three times last season. When Tariq finally holed out on the mid-off boundary for an excellent 111 runs off 76 balls (12-4’s, 4-6’s), his century became the 106th century for Cosmos, and the 38th highest on the Cosmos honors board. Cosmos inning closed on an imposing 268 for 6 off their allotted 30 overs. T. Gilbert took 2 for 43, while Mohammed and Joseph took one wicket each.
Despite offering a good counterattack with a few mini partnerships Alliance/Renegades were always behind the required run-rate as Cosmos bowlers kept picking up wickets at regular intervals.
The introduction of Towgeshwar Thakoordeen kept the opening pair quiet and got the breakthrough when Rooplall held on at mid-wicket. Reyaad Mohamed (37) had a few sparks spanking three consecutive boundaries off Rooplall before Rooplall sneaked through the gates and had his reward. Rooplall then trapped F. Persaud in his next over, and when Govin Persaud held on to a good catch on the mid-on boundary to get rid of R. Joseph (23), Rooplall had three wickets in the bag and bowled his team into a good position.
Trevis Gilbert was the lone fighter and the only batsman who posed some challenge to Cosmos attack. He capitalized on his luck after he offered a simple chance to Alvin Gobin at extra-cover. He eventually holed out to a good catch by Devindra Balgobin on the mid-on boundary for an aggressive 50-balls 73 runs (6-6’s, 7-4’s).
Rameez Mohamed (32) made some encouraging noise in the end with the run-rate climbing steadily. Surprisingly, Cosmos let their guard down a little towards the end, but had their hands firmly on the control on either side of the inning as captain Balgobin marshalled his team as he did in the previous matches with an unwavering determination against this opponent before the inning closed on 254 for 9 in their allotted 30 overs and Cosmos sealed a 14 runs victory.
