In a scintillating batting performance for Liberty Sports Club (LSC), Trevor Henry and Francis Mendonca smashed centuries against East Side Warriors (ESW) in Brentwood, New York. Henry hammered nineteen fours and cleared the boundary 5 times in his unbeaten 144 while Mendonca dispatched ten fours in his 110.
Trevor Henry struck 19 fours and 5 sixes for a club record 144 not out.
The duo posted a 242 runs 2nd wicket partnership, a new club record for #TheBlueNation. The GMA Tax & Real Estate and Royal Empress Catering Hall sponsored Club then return to bundle out ESW for 117 capping a comprehensive 204 runs victory before the threatening rain came down on Sunday.
Fresh off of a strong performance in Maryland over the Memorial Day Weekend against Washington Metro Cricket Board, the boys in blue headed out east in Long Island to do battle against the East Side Warriors. Skipper, Danesh Deonarain, won the toss and asked the hosts to field on the typical hard and bouncy Brentwood wicket. Mendonca and Romero Deane took strike for LSC first up. Deane in his usual aggressive manner moved things along quickly. He blasted 4 fours and carved a maximum over deep extra cover before being bowled for 26 off of a ball that kept low.
With the score on 59 in the 8th over when Deane departed and Mendonca laying the foundation to the inning, Henry joined the proceedings. The former Georgetown Cricket Club players then set about what their epic feat. Henry quickly found the boundary through mid-off after scoring 2 singles to get his account open.
The ESW bowlers toiled but with no success. Henry reached his half century when he struck his 10th boundary off a classy drive through backward point. Mendonca, the more watchful of the two, brought up his half century shortly after with a push to long on.
Henry has been on a hot streak in his previous 3 games for the club. Batting down the order against Richmond Hill CC in the previous EACA Cricket Zone 40-Over match, Henry, stroked a resolute 27 to help usher in the victory for LSC. Six days later he would stroke 28 to set up another victory in a T20 match in Maryland and the following day he blasted 59 not out in a 40-Over match encounter.
Henry’s consistent form was rewarded with a promotion to number 3 in batting order and he did not disappoint. Hitting 5 more fours and hoisting 2 sixes Henry helped himself to 98 before crunching another mighty maximum over long-on to bring up his century.
Mendonca meanwhile stuck dedicatedly to the task. After hitting three fours to get to his fifty, the right-hander would strike four more boundaries before punching a single to long off to bring up his second century for LSC. In an interesting statistic Francis Mendonca has now scored four consecutive centuries in 40-Over cricket matches at the Brentwood grounds.
Francis Mendonca struck his second ton for Liberty Sports Club.
Mendonca would add ten more to his century before being bowled in the 38th over bringing an end to the 242 runs partnership. This partnership surpassed the club’s previous best, a 3rd wicket 188 compiled by Trinson Carmichael and Danesh Deonarain at Heckscher State Park in 2014. The 242 will now stand as a 2nd wicket partnership record passing Dilly Khilawan and Deonarain’s 113 composed in 2013.
Henry went on to score a total of 144 before the last ball was bowled in the inning. Sudesh Dhaniram finished unbeaten on 4 and the LSC inning ended at 321 for 2. Henry’s inning will now take the place as the highest individual total scored for the team surpassing the previous best of 119. Sajjad Ishfaq and Kashif Naseem were the lone wicket takers for ESW.
With rain clouds gathering the LSC boys took the field with purpose with Dhaniram handling the new ball. ESW’s top batsman, Usman Rafique, picked off 7 off the first over and four off the first ball of the second over bowled by Terrence Madramootoo. The aggressive approach signaled the winning intentions of the East Side Warriors. The second ball of Madramootoo’s over would set ESW back, however, when Rafique (11) mistimed a heave over long off only managing to lob a catch to Deonarain running around from mid-off.
Two balls later Madramootoo would have Sabeeh Rafique stumped by Mendonca for naught to leave the chase at 11 for 2. ESW continued in their aggressive manner reaching 42 in the 7th over before Dhaniram bowled Ubaid Khan for 12. It would be 59 for 4 when Trinson Carmichael, taking over from Dhaniram, had Umair Tahir smartly caught by Deonarain for 25.
Ahson Qadeer (24) and Sajjad Ishfaq (25) put together a 32 runs partnership off the next 6 overs before Leon Mohabir removed Qadeer. Tooneshwar Kristona then accounted for Ishfaq shortly after and that triggered a collapse.
Mohabir picked up 2 more wickets while Dhaniram was reintroduced and polished off the inning with the last 2 wickets in the 23rd over when the final score was 117. The last wicket fell just in time for the teams to gather up their gears and hit the road before the forecasted thunderstorm arrived.
Bowling for LSC Mohabir had 3 for 21 off 6 overs, Dhaniram 3 for 27 off 5.5 overs, Madramootoo 2 for 28 off 5 overs and Kristona and Carmichael 1 wicket each.
The win takes Liberty Sports Club to 3-0 in the A Division of the Eastern American Cricket Association Cricket Zone 40-Over Competition.
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)
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