By Sham Ali
(Celebrating 33rd Anniversary – Match #1017):- It has been an unusually spiteful start for Cosmos where the highs and lows of a cricket season came early as Cosmos suffered their second loss in three matches. It may be a lack of intent now that Cosmos days in the mcl league may be heading to the tape. On this occasion, it was Spice Island who walked away with a convincing 50 runs victory at Marine Park last Sunday after the match was reduced to 25 overs.
But Cosmos may have contributed in a large part to their demise after they ‘generously’ spilled nine catches of which the Spice island batsmen graciously took full advantage and subsequently posted a good total on a tricky pitch after they won the toss and surprisingly decided to bat. Sham Ali send back A. Chaitong caught by T. Rana in the first over, but not much went right thereafter in a comedy of errors. In Ali’s 2nd over, A. Baptiste leading edge looped to Keith Eddie at point, he dropped it, in the same over David Williams skied to short mid wicket, Rana settled but then wicket keeper Tegana McKenzie decided that he would catch it, it fell to the ground. Ali had both batsmen dropped again behind the wicket when Baptiste edged, and Williams skied to the keeper.
At the change, Williams (57) pulled Hasib to mid on, Eddie dropped it. Baptiste pull Hasib to mid on, Eddie dropped it, and another two catches when to Eddie that he just couldn’t close his hands on. It was a torrid day for Eddie on the field and perhaps couldn’t wait for the day to end. The pair then posted a 109 runs partnership in 16 overs before Rasheem James put a halt to the misery on display when he held on to Williams offer in deep mid-on, Baptiste was then bowled trying to pull to mid wicket, both fell to D. Mohammed. Cosmos then pushed back with another couple of wickets when Spice Island inning closed on 163 for 8 off their allotted overs.
In their reply, Cosmos made a mess of the chase after a 41 runs partnership between G. Ramsingh (14) and Faizal Taj (16). At the change, Ramsingh played back to a full delivery from left arm spinner D. Jones and lost his stumps. Taj then swung for the moon and miss. Cosmos middle order then collapsed from 41 for 1 to 75 for 7. Hasib was beginning to look comfortable, but fell to a spectacular one-handed catch at mid-off by Chaitong who leaped into the air and when he landed the ball was in his hand. James stroked a confident 19 before Chaitong held on to another one-handed catch on the boundary edge. Rana looked very much like a good middle order batsman stroked an aggressive 15 while Sohan Dass was not out on 12. Spice Island though stuck to their plan and totally outplayed Cosmos on this day. Chaitong held on to three spectacular catches in the deep to highlight his team effort with a thumping victory over Cosmos.
Cosmos will play Westbury next week at Westbury HS.
