Wilson Named MVP, Queens #1 Team Captures NYC Mayor’s Cup Title

The victorious Queens #1 team pose with winning trophy. Photo by Joe Buglewicz

NYC Mayor’s Cup Cricket All-Star Games
On June 22, the City’s best high school cricketers from the Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL)competed for the right to call themselves the “Best in the City” at the NYC Mayor’s Cup Cricket All-Star Games at Van Cortlandt Park. In an all-Queens championship match, Queens Team #1 defeated Queens Team #2 by a score of 109-110 after 16.4 overs to take home the NYC Mayor’s Cup for the second year in a row. Randall Wilson (John Adams HS) was awarded the MVP plaque for the third straight year after he scored 44 runs for Queens Team #1 in the championship match.

The day of cricket, which took place at the brand new cricket complex at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, began with two simultaneously played semifinal matches. Queens Team #1 took on the Bronx/Manhattan Team and Queens Team #2 faced the Brooklyn Team. The semifinals were both played as 15 over matches, which meant that each batter was only allowed to score a maximum of 25 runs and bowlers were only allowed to bowl a maximum of three overs.

In the semifinal match between Queens Team #1 and the Bronx/Manhattan Team, Queens Team #1 won the toss and took first knock. They finished their 15 overs with a score of 131.  Top run scorers included Randall Wilson (30 runs), Rafeek Nazeer from Richmond Hill HS (26 runs) and Keifer Phill from the HS of Construction (25 runs). The Bronx/Manhattan Team was next and they needed 132 runs if they wanted to advance to the championship match, but they fell 28 runs short as they finished with 104 runs. Their top run scorers were Hamza Bangash from Lehman HS (28 runs) and Amid Chowdury from DeWitt Clinton HS (22 runs). Queens Team #1 was victorious by the score of 131-104 and advanced to the championship match, where they awaited the winner of the semifinal between Queens Team #2 and the Brooklyn Team.

In the other semifinal, Queens Team #2 went to bat first and finished with 123 runs after 15 overs.  Their top run scorers were Aown Iqubal from William C. Bryant HS (29 runs) and Redwanur Khan from Long Island City HS (25 runs). The Brooklyn Team came up next but fell short of their goal and only managed 105 runs. Hamza Rana (FDR HS) led the way for them with 26 runs followed by their captain Fahad Riaz (Lincoln HS) who finished with 14 runs. Queens Team #2 Captain Sajib Salam (Long Island City) bowled extremely well to lead his team to victory by a score of 123-105. Their victory set up an all-Queens final in the championship match.

The beautiful Van Cortland Park which hosted the event. Photo by Joe Buglewicz

The championship match was a 20 over affair, which meant that there was no limit to the number of runs a batter could score and bowlers were allowed four overs. Queens Team #2 came to bat first with Nahid Islam (Long Island City HS) and Muhammed Ashfaq (Newcomers HS). The bowler for Queens Team #1 was Keifer Phill who was extracting some lively pace and was bowling with plenty of accuracy. Both Queens Team #2 batters were retired without

Randal Wilson was named MVP for the third time. Photo by Shiek Mohamed

producing a run. Keifer Phill bowled four overs in the contest and he allowed seven runs and took three wickets from his opponents. Queens Team #2 captain Sajib Salam did everything he could, but was dismissed after he scored 34 runs on 40 balls. Aown Iqbal pitched in with 25 runs on 26 balls and Redwanur Kahn finished with 14 runs on 14 balls. Their total after 20 overs was 109, but the story of the match proved to be that Queens Team #2 was unable to solve the great bowling of Queens Team #1. The top Queens Team #1 bowlers were Keifer Phill and Vijendra Mohabir (Hillcrest) who captured three wickets of his own and only allowed 13 runs in three overs.

Queens Team #1 came to bat and they needed 110 runs if they wanted to win their second NYC Mayor’s Cup title in as many years. They started with the partnership of Vijendra Mohabir and Rafeek Nazeer (Richmond Hill) which worked out well and produced 35 runs in 6 overs. Mohabir finished with 24 runs scored, which was second behind Randall Wilson. Keifer Phill was next to come up after Nazeer was run out in the sixth over. Phill had already proved he was a great bowler but his luck was not the same as a batsman as he was dismissed after Sajib Salam bowled him out on his first ball. Sajib Salam was the top bowler for Queens Team #2, he captured three wickets for 23 runs in his four overs. Randall Wilson replaced Phill for Queens Team #1 in the sixth over and went on to prove why he’s one of the best all-rounders in the country. He rotated the strike, picked up the singles, and hit the bad balls away to different parts of the boundaries. Behind Wilson’s 44 runs, Queens Team #1 only needed 16.4 overs to reach their goal of 110 runs and capture their second consecutive NYC Mayor’s Cup victory.

After the match, Randall Wilson claimed his third MVP award in a row and he will be moving on to play on the USA National U-19 Team this summer. The Best Bowler award was given to Keifer Phill of Queens Team #1 who will be joining Wilson on the USA National U-19 Team. The Best Batsman plaque was awarded to Sajib Salam from Queens Team #2.

Semifinal Matches Results
Semifinal #1
Queens Team #1 def. Bronx/Manhattan 131 to 104

The Best Batsman plaque was awarded to Sajib Salam from Queens Team #2.

Queens Team #1 – 131 after 15 overs (maximum 25 runs per batter)
Randall Wilson (John Adams) – 30 runs, retired out
Rafeek Nazeer (Richmond Hill) – 26 runs, retired out
Keifer Phill (HS for Construction) – 25 runs, retired out
Zafar Yusuf (John Adams) – 17 runs
Sharif Rahman (Hillcrest) – 9 runs
Vijendra Mohabir (Hillcrest) – 2 runs
Jason Rooney (Hillcrest) – 1 runs
Randy Perumal (John Adams) – 1 runs
Munthasir Islam (Hillcrest) – 1 runs

Bronx/Manhattan Bowlers:
Zahid Hasan (DeWitt Clinton) – 2 wickets for 19 runs allowed in 3 overs
Hamza Bangash (Lehman) –29 runs allowed in 3 overs
Syed Islam (DeWitt Clinton) – 15 runs allowed in 2 overs
Vinit Shah (Stuyvesant) – 14 runs allowed in 1 over
Amid Chowdury (DeWitt Clinton) – 17 runs allowed in 2 overs
Ali Bangash (Lehman) – 19 runs allowed in 2 overs
Mahbub Hasan (DeWitt Clinton) – 15 runs allowed in 2 overs

Bronx/Manhattan – 104 all out
Hamza Bangash(Lehman) – 28 runs, retired out
Amid Chowdury (DeWitt Clinton) – 22 runs
Ali Bangash (Lehman) – 11 runs
Zahid Hasan (DeWitt Clinton) – 10 runs
Syed Islam (DeWitt Clinton) – 10 runs
Kamran Haque (Lehman) – 5 runs, not out
Asmar Khan (DeWitt Clinton) – 3 runs
Vinit Shah (Stuyvesant) – 2 runs

Queens Team #1 Bowlers:
Keifer Phill (HS for Construction)– 9 runs allowed in 2.4 overs
Abhishek Samdaria (Bronx Science) – 23 runs allowed in 2 overs
Munthasir Islam (Hillcrest) – 9 runs allowed in 1 over
Randy Perumal (John Adams) – 2 wickets for 21 runs allowed in 2 overs
Randall Wilson (John Adams)–18 runs allowed in 1 over
Vijendra Mohabir (Hillcrest) – 4 wickets for 14 runs allowed in 3 overs
Zafar Yusuf (John Adams)–10 runs allowed in 2 overs

Semifinal #2
Queens Team #2 def. Brooklyn – 123 to 105

Queens Team #2 – 123 after 15 overs (maximum 25 runs per batter)
Aown Iqbal (William C. Bryant) – 29 runs, retired out
Redwanur Khan (Long Island City) – 25 runs, retired out
Attar Khan (Long Island City) – 14 runs
Muhammed Ashfaq (Newcomers) – 13 runs
Asad Ahmed (William C. Bryant) – 10 runs, not out
Rolex Kapali (Aviation) – 4 runs
Haroon Ali (William C. Bryant) – 4 runs
Sajib Salam (Long Island City) – 1 run
Taranjit Singh (William C. Bryant) – 1 run
Haris Shah (Aviation) – 1 run

Brooklyn Bowlers:
Burhan Saeed (Midwood) – 11 runs allowed in 2 overs
Akrumal Haque (Brooklyn International) – 2 wickets for 18 runs allowed in 2 overs
Mohib Tariq (FDR) – 14 runs allowed in 1 over
Saqib Shahid (Sheepshead Bay) – 2 wickets for 21 runs allowed in 3 overs
Hamza Rana (FDR) – 1 wicket for 22 runs allowed in 2 overs
Alex Chattergood (Franklin K. Lane) – 18 runs allowed in 3 overs
Bilal Zulfiqar (Lincoln) – 1 wicket for 7 runs allowed in 2 overs

Brooklyn – 105 all out
Hamza Rana (FDR) – 26 runs, retired out
Fahad Riaz (Lincoln) – 14 runs
Akramul Haque (Brooklyn International) – 11 runs
Syed Forhaduddin (Brooklyn International) – 10 runs
Zeeshan Arif (Lincoln) – 6 runs
Saqib Shahid (Sheepshead Bay) – 6 runs
Haasher Warraich (Lafayette) – 1 run

Queens Team #2 Bowlers:
Haroon Ali (William C. Bryant) – 3 wickets for 18 runs allowed in 3 overs
Attar Khan (Long Island City) – 2 wickets for 4 runs allowed in 2 overs
Redwanur Khan (Long Island City)–24 runs allowed in 3 overs
Muhammad Ashfaq (Newcomers) – 10 runs allowed in 2 overs
MD Rahman (William C. Bryant) – 13 runs allowed in 1 over
Sajib Salam (Long Island City) – 15 runs allowed in 3 overs