Atlantis Cricket Club – NY, facing one of its biggest challenges of the 2015 EACA season, fell to Big Apple Sports Club by 21 runs last Sunday at Heckscher State Park on Long Island. In a repeat of the 2014 EACA 40-overs final, Big Apple with former West Indies Test player Adam Sandford proved too much for the Atlantis line-up.
Prashanth Nair bagged 5 for 21 despite Atlantis falling to Big Apple. Photo by Shiek Mohamed
On a day affected by overnight rainfall and threatened by more rain during the day, many of the EACA scheduled matches were expected to be called off or abandoned along the way, however, the weather held out long enough for the league to get in a round of matches.
Atlantis won the toss and offered Big Apple the opportunity to set the bar in the agreed upon 30 overs clash. The latter subsequently set the bar at a mere 160 all out, after a very decent opening pair’s contribution of 62 and 45 from former Atlantis player Dominique Rikhi (2x6s, 9x4s) and Trevis Ross (1×6, 3x4s), respectively. However, the remaining nine Big Apple batsmen averaged only three runs each, excluding the 26 extras, as off-spinner Prashanth Nair with figures of 3-0-21-5 and his skipper Alex Amsterdam with 6-0-27-3 peeled away the Big Apple’s (skin)inning. Keon Lake had 1 for 23 off 4 overs.
The only other Big Apple batsman reaching double figures yet another former Atlantis player Clain Williams, 18 (1×4, 1×6)). There were six recorded ducks in the Big Apple exodus, including not out batsman Kevin Darlington, as Big Apple wrapped up its inning at 160 all out in 21 overs .
The target of 161 for victory appeared to be within reach of Atlantis, despite not having the services of some of their season’s outstanding batsmen – Ryan Sukhdeo, Henderson Blades, Jamal Hinckson, Ron Andrew and USA national Nicholas Standford in the batting line up for the day.
Big Apple opener Dominique Rikhi blazed 64 that included 2x6s and 9x4s.
With the exception of opener Shawn Mason and skipper Alex Amsterdam, both with eight runs each recorded, the top half of the Atlantis batting line up appeared on pace for the victory, contributing a total of 108 runs excluding any extras.
Newcomer Dwayne Smith stood his ground for a well-made 52 (3x6s, 2x4s) before falling to Dominique Rikhi via the safe hands of Adam Sanford. The other double digit Atlantis contributors were Kavishwar Bridgepaul, 16, (3x4s), opener Keon Lake, 15 and Nazim Uddin, 10. Extras chipped in with 10, as Atlantis fell for 139 in 28 overs, 21 shy of their fifth win of the season.
On a day when Atlantis’ bowling (despite conceding 20 extras) was on the ball, their missing batsmen may have contributed to the defeat in absentia. On the other hand, despite the intimidating pace of Adam Sanford, it was the pace and guile of veteran Kevin Darlington who enjoyed figures of 6-0-29-4 and Dominique Rikhi with 2-0-6-3 that did in Atlantis. Zaheer Saffie, Mark Gomes and Shiv Raghubar each snared a wicket apiece. Atlantis failed to hold on to all of the catches offered them, except for five, compared to Big Apple’s seven catches welcomed. End result Atlantis failed to catch up to Big Apple in the current standings, dropping to 4-3, while Big Apple soared to 5-2.