Majestic Rides Royal Over Atlantis

By John L. Aaron
With a performance akin to a phoenix rising from the ashes, Majestic Cricket Club asserted its dominance by triumphing over Atlantis Cricket Club-NY last Sunday at Cunningham Park in Queens, NY. The match, which saw Majestic win by seven wickets, marked Atlantis’ first season loss, leaving them with a 2-1 record.

Majestic’s strategic decision to bowl first after winning the toss proved to be a masterstroke. Atlantis found themselves in a precarious position at 2 for 2, with the hard-hitting Dino Choowtenaam and Freddy Pestano being dismissed early in the first two overs.

Surprisingly, Atlantis’ skipper Randall Wilson batted at number five rather than opening the inning or entering one down. His late arrival in the middle of the 18th over was preceded by the departure of his deputy Kellon Carmichael, 8, along with Marvin Prashad, 9; Atlantis was in trouble at 4 for 42 in the 13th over. Majestic’s Hemraj Chandrapaul had featured in all four dismissals. However, Atlantis still had seven at-bats remaining, including Ronaldo Alimohamed, who struck a championship-winning 71 not out off 20 balls the previous day, including eight sizes and five fours for the Queen’s Sharks in the 2024 Guyana Cup championship final.

However, before Alimohamed could fly to his team’s rescue, his club lost its skipper Randall Wilson, who had been caught off the bowling of Mahendra Persaud for a paltry five. Steve Roopnarine showed temporary brilliance at the wicket, posting 13, before exiting the same route as his skipper. He was soon followed by Ronaldo Alimohamed, 5, and Teton Johnson, 1, both falling in the 28th over. Meanwhile, at the other end, it was Jamal Norton, holding things together for Atlantis, scoring a patient half-century (53 off 94 balls with 5x4s). Telston Johnson and Dillon Bourne closed out the Atlantis twilight total at 128 all-out in 32.5 overs with a contribution of 24 extras, compliments of Majestic. The Atlantis inning had lasted exactly 145 minutes.

The Atlantis wickets fell at: 2; 2; 17; 42; 56; 82; 96; 97; 124; and 128. The pick of the Majestic bowlers was Chandrapaul Hemraj 7-2-16-3 and Mahendra Persaud 8-1-24-2.

Majestic Cricket Club, confident in their ability to chase down 129, showcased their mettle by closing out their inning at 130 for the loss of three wickets in the 17th over. Key contributions came from Chandrapaul Hemraj, 35 (3x4s, 2×6’s). He was caught by K. Carmichael off the bowling of T. Johnson. Former Atlantis wicketkeeper Ryan Sukhdeo remained not out at 31, and Derrick Narine, 26, (4x4s), c. wktpr Norton, b. T. Johnson. Ryan Sukhdeo, not out at 31, and Kelvin Anderson at 24, also played crucial roles in the victory.

Majestic rose triumphantly with a seven-wicket victory in the 17th over and 81 minutes elapsed. Atlantis plays Elite Cricket Club this Sunday, June 16, 2024, at Idlewild Cricket Ground in Rosedale, Queens, NY. The game time is 1:00 pm.