Trevor Henry (Center) top scored with 78, Francis Mendonca (Left) also scored a half century and Andre Kirton (Right) led the bowling with 3 wickets.
A gutsy century from Galaxy Cricket Club’s Randall Wilson was not enough to get his team to victory against Liberty Sports Club. Batting first #TheBlueNation posted a below par 229 at the Baisley Cage on Sunday, August 2nd. Trevor Henry’s 78 and Francis Mendonca’s 63 led the way for the Royal Empress Banquet Hall and GMA Enterprise sponsored club. The LSC bowlers stepped up and turned in a match winning performance to keep the club in the top ranks of the 2015 EACA Cricket Zone 40-Overs competition.
Andre Kirton, promoted to the opening position for an injured Ramano Deane, struck 2 fours and a 6 before a 31 runs opening partnership was ended when he held out to long off for 17. His partner Mendonca looked set to bat through the inning, when he was joined by Henry. The pair would add 108 runs for the 2nd wicket before Henry edged one to Tamesh Balwant. Henry, continuing his exceptional form with the bat for the season, struck five fours and five maximums in his 18 over stay at the crease. His inning yielded 78 runs and LSC looked well on course to post in excess of 250 runs while Henry was batting.
Trinson Carmichael joined Mendonca for the 3rd wicket partnership but some disciplined bowling from the GCC bowlers kept the partnership mostly quite. The duo added 53 runs during their 10 overs at the crease. Carmichael was the man to depart with the score on 191 in the 34th over. He contributed 29, hitting a single boundary.
Terrence Madramootoo (17), Hemendra Ramdihal (2), Vijendra Singh (5*) and Leon Mohabir (0) all had brief appearances at the crease. Mendonca out in the final over for 63 hitting just 2 boundaries.
Rafeek Nazeer picked up four of the seven LSC wickets to fall for 53 runs off 8 overs. The other three wickets were shared between Metray Balgobin, 1 for 34 off 8 overs and Rajendra Latcha 2 for 58 off 8 overs. Dhaniram Seepersaud, 8 overs for 40 runs and Kiran Krishna 8 overs for 44 runs remained wicket less despite playing a crucial role in restricting LSC to the getable total of 229 when the 240th delivery was bowled.
GCC got off to a steady start in their chase and had 55 run on the board in the 15th over when Krishna Harricharan held out to Kirton off the bowling of Leon Mohabir. Balwant had a brief stay before he was trapped leg before wicket in the following over by Carmichael. Meanwhile, Wilson who opened the batting was laying the foundation to his inning.
Nazeer partnered with Wilson for 45 runs before Ramdihall found the outer half of his blade to balloon a simple catch for Carmichael. Latcha joined Wilson and the pair slowly shifted the game in favor of GCC. Going into the 28th over batting power play GCC needed 100 more runs to win the game with 7 wickets in hand. The required run rate being 8.3 runs per over and needing to maximize the scoring in the four overs of power play, Wilson and Latcha only managed 17 runs.
Still needing 84 off the last 9 overs, Wilson stepped up the tempo as he approached his century. The young right hander was instrumental in upping the run rate to over 9 runs per over in the 4 overs after the power play. In the urgency of upping the run rate, however, an ill-advised single cost Latcha his wicket via the run out route.
Kirton, who affected the run out of Latcha, struck the crucial blow when he was reintroduced into the attack. On his first ball back Wilson held out to long on and brought some release to the pressure cooker chase in progress. Wilson played brilliantly for his 112, hitting five boundaries and seven sixes while single handedly keeping GCC alive in the chase.
The chase when from 193 for 4 when Wilson departed to 198 all out 2 overs later to wrap up a 31 runs victory for LSC. Kirton finished as the best bowler for LSC on the day with 3 wickets for 21 runs off 8 overs. Madramootoo 2 for 26 along with a wicket each for Ramdihall, Mohabir and Carmichael were bowlers who kept GCC at bay.
The 2015 Liberty Sports Club is sponsored by GMA Enterprise Real Estate & Tax Services, located on 122nd St & Liberty Ave and Royal Empress Catering Hall, located on 122nd St & Rockaway Blvd. Please visit their website www.gmaenterprise.com & www.rockawaycarny.com to support our sponsor. Follow the progress of Liberty Sports Club and join #TheBlueNation via Facebook (facebook.com/LibertyCricketClubb), Twitter ( @LibertySportsC) & Instagram (@LibertySportsC)
Trevor Henry (Center) top scored with 78, Francis Mendonca (Left) also scored a half century and Andre Kirton (Right) led the bowling with 3 wickets.