By Clifford Hinds
Despite mild winds from the west, it was a beautiful day at Gateway Park as New York Region youth team took on the Villagers Cricket Club, 2011 champions of the Metropolitan Cricket League. To be fair, Villagers was not at full strength as captain Cliff Roye won the toss and decided to bat. The youths were chomping at the bits as Umpires Carl Patrick and Victor Reeves walked to the middle at 11:00 am. The youth team was captained by USA representative Prashant Nair with Guyana national youth player Trinson Carmichael as vice captain.
Prasanth Nair who led the youth team. (Photo by Shiek Mohamed)
Villagers opened with Oval Crawford and P. Shamar to the bowling of Carmichael bowling left arm pace from the Mall end and Anwar Khan bowling right arm quickies from the Parkway end. Off the first delivery of the game, Crawford pushed forward to one from Carmichael popped it up to the right of sixteen year old Bjorn Brown who took a fairly easy catch.
Captain Cliff Roye came in but in the next over there was a mix up between the batsmen after Shamar had driven a ball to deep mid off and scampered off for a run, however, the hard fielding practice that coach Milton Pydana had conducted the day before paid dividends as Nair made a lightening move to his right picked up the ball in one action and made a perfect return to the bowler who did the rest. Shamar run out for 0. Veteran Paul Salmon and Roye who have played at the highest level in Jamaica, stamped their class on the game with some hard hitting and exquisite strokes all around the wicket and many times out of the ground. At times their run scoring was ‘like taking candy from a baby‘as they plundered the bowling of the youngsters. Jazeb Tariq and Waqas Shah took over the bowling but the deluge of runs continued.
After repeated shouts from the pavilion of “we want Nair, we want Nair”, the skipper brought himself on from the parkway end and Syed Hussain from the mall end. A left arm leg spinner and a right arm leg spinner. Ten runs came off Nair’s first over and his supporters in the crowd were beginning to hide their faces. To make matters worse, twelve runs came off Hussain’s first over. However, after that, both bowlers settled in to some fine spin bowling. Nair bowled a maiden over and then Hussain struck gold as he had Salmon caught by Zaheb Tariq for a well played 57 which included 7 sixes and 1 four. The partnership with Roye was worth 112 valuable runs.
Roye left soon thereafter caught by Troy Mars off the bowling of Nair for a good inning of 54 which included 4 sixes and 4 fours. After bowling 4 overs, Nair gave way to FDR high school star, Zaheb Tariq bowling orthodox off spin. The spin twins, Hussain and Tariq, tore through the heart of the Villagers batting varying their flight and turn. Melroy Kingston, hoping to get a good knock prior to his trip to Jamaica for the Masters competition, went caught Zaheb Tariq, bowled by Hussain for 6, Ewart “wrinkles” Gayle was caught by Brown off Hussain for 11. Hussain capped off a fine performance by having R. Emanuel brilliantly stumped by Imran Mazher for 1.
Brown, bowling a sharp out swinger, was introduced in the bowling attack and soon had Cuthbert Mendonca caught by Mars for 9 and Ballista McLeish caught by Zaheb Traiq for 0. Rodwell was run out for 1 as the once promising inning ended at 157 after 32 overs. Hussain bowled 7/1/29/3, Carmichael 5/1/8/1, Zaheb Tariq 6/2/12/1, Khan 4/1/13/0, Shah 3/0/32/0, Nair 4/1/29/1, Brown 2/0/8/2 and Jazeb Tariq 1/0/11/0.
Many officials, including the following, arrived during the interval, to wit, Linden Fraser, regional coach, Lester Hooper, Regional Director, Carlyle Miller, former USA manager, Lloyd Jodah of college cricket, Hugh Pitter, regional committee member and Under 15 coach, Rudy John.
The youths opened their inning with USA player, Trevor Singh and regional Under U15 star, 15 year old, Rafeek Nazeer. Villagers opened the bowling with Tallisman “Likky Down” Gordon and Cuthbert Mendonca and both batsmen settled down to delight the crowd. Despite a few poor attempted hook shots by Singh and some near run outs the batsmen gave the team a sound and positive start and when the latter was out for 20, caught off Kingston, the score was at 47. Imran arrived and immediately took on the bowling. He hit 2 fours and a mighty six before he was out caught off McLeish for a well played 27. The score was now 101 for 2.
Meanwhile, Nazeer was batting as if he was the one who invented the game. He repeatedly pierced the slow outfield with good footwork and perfect timing and then countered by an impenetrable defense. When he was called in he had acquired 60 magnificent runs with 8 fours and one six and victory was never in doubt. Troy Mars at the other end was showing who the “boss’ was. After hitting 3 fours and a six he was called in after he had made 22. Brown and Carmichael continued the march to victory; they seemed very comfortable as the Villagers bowlers tried desperately to pull off a miracle.
Carmichael was pulled after he had reached 12 and Waqas Shah and Brown brought their team across the finishing line in 31 overs. Kingston 7/0/33/1 and McLeish 4/0/27/1 were the successful bowlers for Villagers.
It was a wonderful day of cricket. I am sure that the youngsters learnt a few things from the veterans. The Region would like to thank Cliff Roye and Villagers CC for making this game possible.
A regional squad of 14 players, coach and manager is scheduled to travel to Florida from November 10 – 13 to participate in two 40 overs game and one 20/20. A fundraising “Brunch” will be held at Naressa Palace, 114-16, Rockaway Blvd. on Sunday, October 30th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. For more information, you may call (917)-861-9110, (347)-574-5618 or (917)-284-5730.
