(Celebrating 45th Anniversary – Match #1265 / 20240704):- It has been dubbed as the matchup for the ages. The challenge was real. The banter was aplenty on the Cosmos chat group and the age gap was as wide as the Atlantic ocean, but nothing skites can prevent this clash between Cosmos Masters (the Lions), and Cosmos Youths (the Cubs) from happening, and it did on a hot and humid independence day at Ferry Point Park, Whitestone.
The Cosmos Cubs captain, Devindra Balgobin, and the Cosmos Lions captain, Sohan Dass draped in their navy blue blazer walked out to toss. Heads was the call from Cubs. Remember, this is a toss that Cosmos Masters must win, probably at all costs, and after some drama, they did. The coin had two heads (I am not sure where they got that coin), and the most experienced heads prevail in a most careful, cordial and constructive exchange, the Cosmos vice president, Yogeshwar Ramgobin, determined that head was really the tail. Lions will bat. Yes!!! 30 overs match.
The occasion marks a series of celebrations this year to highlight Cosmos 45th Anniversary, and in addition to this Annual Family Day event, it included the inaugural Presidents Cup to add to one of the events. The formalities showcased the transition from two generations of cricketers with the Cosmos Masters decked out in their traditional white uniform while the Cosmos Youths looked colorful in their age of color uniform. Aggrey Salmon led invocation with special mention for the speedy recovery of our colleague, Timal Lakhan, who will be undergoing major surgery. It was only last Saturday that he was on the cricket field. There was also special mention of one of our very own young players, Rajendra Persaud (Gen), who passed away on this day twenty-four years ago, and is resting peaceful in the great beyond. It was a poignant moment especially when his brother Kawal Persaud gave a touching recollection his beloved brother and of their cherished days together and playing in Cosmos. Gen, as he was affectionately called, was a good cricketer and a wonderful young man.
And then, it was over to the grand old Masters men of Cosmos all of whom have stood immovable against the storms for the last forty years to ply one of their most cherished lifetime hobbies. They were all padded up; muscles rubbed up, and ready to go. I mean really, really padded up: ankle brace, knee braces, waist bands struggling to grab around some of the increased waist line, and eye glasses tied in place and some sporty shades as well (old boys have class too, you know). The entire pharmacy was on display.
An early strike for Cubs in the second over when Kawal was caught at point off R. Ganesh. Left hand medium pacer, Gohan Gourdeen, had prepared for this match-up, but had to leave the field in the second over after he took a solid straight drive from Ramsingh on the knee. The volume was on high that this match will be over in fifteen overs. Cubs attack couldn’t pierced Ganesh Ramsingh’s willow so he retired on 32. Mukesh was batting in test match mode, AJ in T20 mode before he fell to an excellent catch by Akash Rahim off part-time Thursday bowler Y. Ramgobin. M. Kippings then fell to R. Rooplall, and two of Masters heavy artillery failed to fire, and the Cubs decibels were turned up.
Lions went into the break quite comfortable on 94 for 4. Doneshwar Dayanand had a piece of the new ball as the second change bowler, and he steamed in from around the wicket off his long run from the hilltop end. In his first over after the water break he knocked over M. Sookram woodwork like it was dry bush. Bavesh Utam (Vijai) sent down some of his medium flames to keep things tidy, and Akash Rahim tried some of his medium stuff. The Masters men rallied taking those comfortable ‘Jessy Bartfield’ singles. It was hot, but Sohan Dass turned the temperature down giving Cubs a brief clinic with a 21-ball 34 runs before the Lions inning rested on 166 for 9 in the allotted 30 overs. R. Ganesh 1 for 11, D. Dayanand 1 for 21, Y. Ramgobin 1 for 14. J. Mingo 2 for 5.
Not enough runs!!! That was the sound coming from the Cubs as they walked off the field. Lions offered to concede the game to Cubs and accept defeat after the first inning ended, it was hot, but Cubs will have none of it. They wanted to smell their sweat and earn their bragging rights.
A loud woooo was in order when, Towgeshwar Thakoordeen (Cosmos #11), walked in with some pomp to open the batting. He was fully padded-up and sporting an oversized sunshade under his helmet. That move was designed to send a strong signal to this Masters team ‘you are not all that’. When, in the second over, Thakoordeen hoisted Glen Shanghie with some authority straight back over his head for six, that was shot of the match and he walked down to tap the wicket (it is a concrete wicket), the volume was turned up, and oh well, you know the noise. With a shot like that this boy needs a promotion up the batting order.
But Cosmos has always been a club that provided opportunities for young players. If opportunity doesn’t knock at some point for the new generation of Cosmos players, then stagnation and frustration becomes the only true measure of progress. But that is not where Cosmos is and hopefully will never be, and this match is further evidence of the opportunities for some of the younger players.
Cubs had raced to 50 for 2 in just 7 overs. Ramgobin dealt in boundaries for his 16 runs while Thakoordeen batted as if he had trained just for this match posted his best score in all seasons so far, a 25-ball 21 runs (2’4s, 1-6). But then Lions roar and Cubs trembled as Gilbert Bartholomew, left arm orthodox, spun a web around the Cubs top order. B. Utam fails to fire. D. Balgobin fails to fire. Akash Rahim and Naresh Persaud had a spark. D. Dayanand fails to fire and suddenly Cubs were caged early and in a deep distress.
The water break, amongst other refreshments, was telling with Cubs camp in total silence and some rather glum looking faces as if they were waiting for milk in a bottle, and it was Lions turn to pump up the volume. The scorecard reads 65 for 7 with all the heavy artillery back in the pavilion. The trophy stood squarely in the middle of the table at the beginning of the match, but yours truly simply moved it a little over to the Lions side with the winners tag next to it, before returning to the field, albeit, not a reaction from the Cubs camp except for a few subtle smiles.
But this is a relatively mature Cubs team, and they had a quiet strategy when they held back two young guns, Jieunit Mingo and Antonio Rooplall, for when the aged Lions legs were tired and let their guards down. The Cubs camp came alive as the scorecard ticked over the 100 mark. The partnership began to swell with singles and tows and the occasional boundary. The scorecard passed the 150 mark and the trophy now appeared to have shifted sides as Mingo and Rooplall stitched together a dogged 99 runs 8th wicket partnership that left lions limping and out of oxygen.
The message from Cubs camp was that the score was tied when Gohan Gourdeen walked in to bat sporting a new willow. It remained new, out first ball, lbw. Match tied! Not so? It appeared that, the Cubs learned well from Lions. And had the last laugh in this showdown after the earlier hiccup at the toss as they sealed a convincing one wicket victory in the penultimate over, 167 for 10. Bartholomew figures of 5 for 5 for 24, K. Persaud 2 for 19.
We needed some earplugs before we walked off the field. The trophy greeted us at the boundary line, and they encircled and handed me the Cubs winners tag to put it on the trophy to a loud roar. Cosmos Cubs drew first blood in this encounter, and are the deserved 2024 intra-club champions.
This day came together quite nicely without a glitch and the young man who spearheaded the arrangements, Devindra Balgobin, did a remarkable job, and he ably supported by all of the boys. It was wonderful to enjoy the day with all the families who came out to support the club; Ramgo family, Balgo family, Sohan family, Akash family, Dinesh family, Ryan family and new baby, and my queen, Faizah, brought a beautiful birthday cake to celebrate a special young lady, Vidya’s (Sohan’s daughter) 16th birthday. It was a fantastic day that was full of fun, love, and enjoyment, and an extra special day for Cosmos.