Sunil Narine and Royo Sankar Lead Cosmos Masters to Victory

By Shivnan S. Ramjattan
Last Saturday, Cosmos Masters faced Connecticut Masters in Bridgeport, Connecticut, under slightly altered conditions due to a late arrival that reduced their allotted 35 overs to 31. Cosmos won the toss and elected to field first on the picturesque cricket ground.

Connecticut Masters’ openers, Irvin Spencer (24) and Krishnakumar Vallur (46), provided a solid start, amassing 39 runs in 10.3 overs for the first wicket. Other notable contributions came from Patrick Shanahan (16) and John Lavein (27), leading the team to a total of 149 runs in their allotted overs.

Cosmos’ bowling attack was led by skipper Sham Ali, who delivered an economical spell, conceding just 2.29 runs per over and taking one wicket in his seven overs. Sunil Narine also impressed, maintaining an economy rate of 2.57 and claiming two wickets in his seven overs. Timal Singh added to the tally with figures of 7-0-17-1.

Set a target of 150 runs from 31 overs, Cosmos’ openers Lincoln Deonarine (23) and Kawal Persaud (16) gave a brisk start in eight overs. However, both were dismissed in quick succession. Royo Sankar, returning to the field after a five-year absence, came in at number three and stabilized the innings amidst regular wickets falling. He found a reliable partner in Sunil Narine at number seven, and together they forged a crucial 77-run partnership for the sixth wicket.

Royo Sankar, scoring 35 not out, played a smart innings, skillfully rotating the strike to keep up with the required run rate. Sunil Narine supported with aggressive shots, including timely boundaries. As the chase neared completion, with just one run needed for victory, Sunil Narine was stumped for a well-made 49. Mukesh Sookram then sealed the win by scoring the final run.