Metropolitan Cricket League: All To Play For With One Round To Go

By Sham Ali

Cosmos’ Keith Edie has been in good nick this season as he score 52 in a losing effort against Westbury #NYMDCA # Metro League

(Celebrating 31st Anniversary):- It was a near perfect day for cricket and an almost perfect one for Westbury as Cosmos suffered a crushing 7-wicket defeat at the hands of Westbury at Westbury High School last Sunday (7/27/2014). This opposition appeared intent and determined as if they were fighting someone else’s battle, in contrast Cosmos did not do much to counter-attack and as a result had to absorb a second defeat for the season.

Westbury won the toss and decided to field under overcast skies that eventually gave way to bright sunshine. It was a decision that fitted squarely into the Cosmos plan, however, on this occasion; Cosmos were not only guilty of an overly cautious approach but appeared flat-footed against a relatively run-of-the-mill bowling attack. Opening batsman Hemchand Hardeo (8) began his inning with a few crisp drives that did not penetrate the field and was the first to go when he steered one softly to second slip. Tegana Mckenzie walked in earlier than usual and began his inning with mixed aggression before he fell to a smart piece of stumping by Kevin Baugh from wide down the leg side, and when Faisal Taj (21), after being watchful in the early overs, held out at deep mid-on where Javein Thomas took a well judged catch off Ballister McLeish the Cosmos scorecard read 71 for 3.

However, at 102 for 4, the innings was poised for a push towards the 200 runs mark, unfortunately, it was at that point too that the Cosmos innings took a very different route and fell apart. Sohan Dass was stroking the ball cleanly until his in decision on a long-hop ballooned to extra cover, and immediately thereafter David Mohamed cautiously sliced another short ball to slip. With the fall of Dass and Mohamed in quick succession Cosmos innings then wobbled within the next 10 runs as the opposition ceased the opportunity to go for the jugular.

Only Keith Edie stood in defiance while looking for a partner to halt the opposition’s charge, but no one stayed around long enough as wickets tumble around him. Edie eventually went for a patient 52 runs when he nicked one to the wicket-keeper and the Cosmos tail wagged when Cyril Choy popped a simple catch to mid-off, Rasheem James played inside one that turned on him and took his stump, Ralston Levy then pulled a short ball to the boundary and in the process stepped onto his stumps. It was an eventful turnaround within five overs that resulted in a dramatic collapsed of Cosmos to 113 for 9 in the 31st over, and with that the uncertainty of the day which began under cloudy skies left Cosmos dry of runs. Ricky Kissoon and Sajib Salam played within their ability to with a ninth wicket partnership of 16 runs by the end of the allotted 37 overs.

Westbury had a few things to do and one of those was to knock off the required 130 runs needed for victory in a hurry, and Cosmos needed to make a few early inroads into the opposition line-up if they were to make a ‘match’ of a small target. D. Ferguson and J. Thomas were solid and did not offer any half a chances as they began their reply in an aggressive mood. They raced to a 57-run partnership by the 10th over during which time Cosmos searched for a breakthrough between four bowling changes. The breakthrough finally came when Levy bowled Ferguson (26) around his legs with the score on 61, however, by that time the Westbury’s inning was well course. Bartington Bartley and Thomas then stepped on the peddle with some excellent running between the wicket to post an aggressive 52-runs partnership before Thomas (41) was run out going for a third run. Levy then trapped leg before Bartley who had raced to a purposeful 48 runs. At 113 for 3 by the 17th over, the end result in this match-up was academic as K. Baugh and D. Campbell ensured a comfortable victory.

Cosmos will play Sheffield at Floyd Bennett next Sunday 3rd August.

NY Metropolitan League Standing: http://www.leaguelineup.com/standings.asp?url=nymcl&sid=312027655