Cricket Zone Eastern American Cricket Association Power 40 Division I

by Dyon Ravello,

Surinamese national, Wasim Haslim

Locked on points heading into the EACA Power 40 12th round, ACS/Everest hosted Richmond Hill CC at the picturesque Lido Beach Cricket Ground, Lido Beach, LI, NY. Upon winning the toss the visitors elected to take first strike, looking to take advantage of perfect cricket conditions. With the backdrop of the Atlantic ocean – the beach – to the south and a wind turbine to the north in addition to clears skies made for a superfluous cricket stage.

ACS opened the bowling with Charlton Senior, who began at the southern, Lido Beach end running into a breeze blowing in a south-westerly direction across the park. Senior was into the action early as he seemed to have found Marlon Kallicharran’s edge only for the standing umpire to turn down a vibrant appeal. Senior would be vindicate the very next delivery as Kallicharran edged to veteran Amjad Khan at second slip who pouch the chance after and initial juggle. At the other end stalwart Trevor Walke kept proceeding tight with his miserly medium pace as he looked to continue from his stellar performance against Big Apple a week earlier. Walke would draw an unforced error as Pradip Roopchand played a loose shot only to be caught by US national Karan Ganesh at point. Walke then accounted for Nedesh Basdeo (20) caught at the wicket by Surinamese national Wasim Haslim.

Debo Sankar and Shawn Thompson worked to repair the slide with strong running between the wickets. Thompson was given a life as he ran towards Sankar at the bowler’s end with Sankar unresponsive. Haslim needing only to walk to the stumps and flicked the bails, resort to a throw which missed both ends allowing Thompson to regain his ground. Thompson would fail to carry on as he was caught at the wicket off the bowling on Senior. Wazid Ward joined Sankar but he looked uncomfortable during his short stay at the crease before he was caught at the wicket for Haslim’s third dismissal off Walke. Richmond Hill unconvincingly perched at 87 for 5 at the first drinks break after 15 overs.

Following 16 overs of unchanged seam bowling from Senior and Walke it was time for the spin twins, in the form of former and current US nationals, Zamin Amin and Ganesh. Amin ended Sankar’s cameo leg before for 22 and Ganesh has skipper Deryck Mc Donald plumb in front, leg before as the procession of Richmond Hill wickets continued. Kumar Nandalall played a couple of classy drives over Cover off Amin, but play one shot too many as he held out to Long on off the same bowler. N. Khan and Ramphal Bactowar crafted a late order partnership to stall ACS’ flow. Then Khan called for a quick single, only to be found short by a direct hit from Steve Nowrangilal at the bowler’s end. Bactowar went the very next ball leg before to Muneshwar Patadin for a top of 23 as Richmond Hill could only muster 151 off 35.5 overs.

For ACS, Walke in his 37th year led the bowling with three wickets, with Senior and Amin sharing two each, as Ganesh bowled miserly for his one wicket for 7 runs off 8 overs.

In reply Richmond Hill looked to suppress the typically aggressive Nowrangilal, opening with spin from both ends. Nowrangilal respond with his usual approach as he dispatched Basdeo onto the roadway for a maximum. At the other end Patadin was circumspect in his approach. Patadin looking to break the shackles could only find Nandalall at Midwicket, who took a sharp catch off Basdeo. Nowrangilal continued to play positively as he lofted Basdeo for another straight six.

Bactowar earned his reward for disciplined bowling as Nowrangilal missed a wrong-un as he chipped at the bowler, losing his stumps in the process. Ganesh joined Haslim at the fall of Nowrangilal and the pair resorted to sharp running between the wickets when boundaries were not available. Nandalall bowling his pinpoint left arm orthodox accounted for Ganesh as the latter played one on to his stumps. Ganesh disenchanted with his dismissal claim the ball had ricocheted of the wicket-keeper, only for the umpire to uphold the original decision. At the first drinks break ACS were 68 for three after 16 overs.

Following the break Richmond Hill employed a slip for Nandalall which paid immediate dividends as Amjad edge to an awaiting Basdeo to add hope to the Richmond Hill cause. But that would be the last of the inroads by the visitors from Queens as Haslim and Amin formulated and unbeaten match winning partnership based on hard running and lusty hitting. Haslim proved a handful a he whipped each bowler over Cow Corner for maximum. All but Nandalall felt the blows dished out by the wicket-keeper batsman who top score with a man of the match performance of 78 not out to add to his three dismissals. ACS/Everest 152/4, completing a commanding six wicket victory in 28.1 over to move ahead to fourth with a record of 6-6-0 with two rounds left to play.