New York Softball Cricket League
Hustlers Defeat Cavaliers In NYSCL Premier Division Final

Skipper Kris Shobai of Hustlers collects the winning trophy from sponsor Mr. Husain. Hustlers team (below) poses with their trophies. Ravi Mohan receives the Division I MVP award from NY Softball Secretary James Persaud.

By James Persaud
Sept. 2nd, 2009
As if the script was written in advance for the result of the New York Softball Cricket League, Premier Division 30 Over Cup finals between Cavaliers and Hustlers. There was not too much to change from the 25 Over Championship finals.

One would think that Cavaliers stand a much better chance of victory last Sunday, knowing the weather and pitch condition was ideal for cricket. Since it’s has been said that the Roy Wilkins strip is much better suited for batting and with Cavaliers known for their batting. The difference could well be the fielding of the Hustlers team, a young very defensive fielding team who don’t floor too many catches and with Javid Ali in the out field who probably is the best fielder around.

Cavaliers won the toss and asked Hustlers to bat; Hustlers scored an impressive 199 for 5 wickets in their 30 overs. Ravi Mohan opens the batting and bat all the way to the end, top scoring with 95 not out.

With three overs remaining Mohan was looking for a century and Cavaliers skipper Erapallai Sahadeo spread his fielders defending the boundaries and trying to prevent Mohan from reaching the three figures. Michael Persaud bowling the last over of the innings, and of the last delivery of the over Mohan needed a six to get the century, Persaud send him a full toss straight down the middle and he miscue and was only able to get it to mid wicket for a single and the huge crowd was left disappointed.

The Hustlers skipper Kris Sohbai contributed 30, Pooran Beria 25 and Nigel Bridgelall 15. In reply Cavaliers were only able to reach a total of 103 all out. 

Cavaliers began their reply with Ravi Sahadeo and Sunil Dhautal; Dhautal looked very confident and played some fluent cover and extra cover drives. But with the speedy Hustlers fielders the ball fails to reach the boundary a few times. The Hustlers skipper had a very attacking field, a field placing that was more suited for a spinner, with he himself doing the wicket keeping and he did a fine job, standing close to the stump.

He kept Ravi Mohan at a very close cover position and Nigel at a short mid wicket with Dhautal striking the ball with power it went to the fielder right and left in the air a few times, making you as a spectator looking on wonder what he was doing. But it paid off as on the third time the catch went straight to Mohan who took it easily. It was a slower ball from Shawn and Dhautal played a bit too early; as he walked away from the crease he looked very annoyed with himself.

With the departure of Dhautal the other batsman went into slow motion as wickets continues to fall at regular intervals. Kris brought in the fielders almost in a close circle pattern as the batsman digging for runs and continues to making mistakes and losing their wicket. By the 15th over it was clear that if Cavaliers stand any chance someone had to stay and have a big innings with at least a boundary or two in every over.

Like I predict last week Michael Persaud was due for a big innings, he is a good all-rounder who places the ball and play strokes to all parts of the field. He Persaud took the responsibility and bat very smart but he got no real support and in the end he tries to knock one over the top and was caught by the deep mid wicket fielder to end the innings in defeat for the second straight finals. Hustlers won by 96 runs and Ravi Mohan winning his second straight man of the match title for his outstanding performance.

Doing the damage for Hustlers Ravi Mohan took 3 wickets for 12 runs, Shawn Persaud and Javid Ali took 2 wickets each, Ravi Murray, Pooran Beria and Nigel Bridgelall, grabbed one wicket each. Congratulations to the Hustlers cricket team and its sponsors for a good game and Kris remind the fans in his victory speech that he still has his eyes on the 2009 season Premier Division Triple Crown and he wishes the Cavaliers team better luck the next time.

Skipper Araz Ali of of Nationals collects the winning trophy from sponsor Mr. Husain. Nationals (below) poses with their trophies.

Cotton Field Crumble To Nationals
Nationals won the toss and asked Cotton Filed to take first strike at the crease; by the first water break the game was well poised in favor the batting team. With only two wickets down and the score well into the ninety’s it look as though the Nationals bowlers were in for a hard day at the park.

Well after the break every thing just breakaway for the batting side, maybe the water was spiked or just too much coaching from the side line. The last eight wickets went down for just sixteen runs and a final total of 110 all out.

The Nationals bowlers bowled very fast intimidating after the break, especially Kolandwell and Faizul Ulla. The Cotton Field batsman tries to just defend their wicket hoping for a bowling change but slowly they find them self back into the pavilion. Shane once again was the wall with his bat trying to piece things together, after he was given out caught at backward short leg, a decision that he and the crowd didn’t like. The Cotton Field innings just cave in and it was all left to the bowlers to try and bring the game home or at least kept the challenge on.

When Nationals took their turn at the crease they went straight into the attack and the opening pair played some very loose shots but all the catching chance went without a challenge or being dropped. Its seems as if the big 150 Rockaway Park field had an effect on the skipper and his fielders, field placing was poor and they were too many big gaps as the Nationals batsman took advantage of this. Had Cotton Field taken a few early catches the game end result would have been much close and exciting.

Nationals won the Division IB finals to take their first championship for the 2009 season, their in form all-rounder Faizul Ulla took the man of the match award for his splendid performances of bagging 4 wicket for 37 runs and scoring 36 runs in the victory.

Better Hope Massacre Apollo XI
Better Hope kept their winning streak alive by winning all nine games in the 30 Over Cup and taking the Division IIA championship. In the last competition Better Hope played very good cricket made the playoffs, but loss in the quarter finals to Volcano.

Better Hope skipper collects the winning trophy from sponsor Mr. Husain. Better Hope (below) poses with their trophies.

They regrouped their team and since have played undefeated in their division. They reach the finals by defeating Champions in the semi-finals in a very close match and only won with 2 balls to spare.

Last Sunday Apollo XI bat first and scored a total of 122 all out in 26 overs, Manoj top score with 30 runs and Navin chipped in with 29 runs. Bowling for Better Hope K. Rajpaul grabbed 5 wickets for14 runs and he was assisted by C. Rajpaul and J. Mahabir with 2 wickets each.

Better Hope raced to victory in the 20th over; with skipper Chitrapaul Singh (Sarge) slamming a superb 56 runs not out and was given the man of the match award for the game. Omesh and Shaun picked up one wicket each in a losing cause and the other main scorers for Better Hope were N. Ramroop with 30 not out, Moses Mahabir 16 and K. Sanichar 2 runs.

Magnificent Wolfpack Annihilate Ravens In Finals
By Vinod Chandrapal
A brilliant opening partnership of eighty three runs between A. Shazaman and A. Wahab laid the foundation of a huge total by Wolfpack in the finals of the 30 overs played last Sunday at 150th Street on Rockaway Blvd. After winning the toss and sending the opposition in, Ravens must have regretted dearly as Shazaman and Wahab took early advantage of some pretty ordinary bowling. They scored most of there runs on the on-side especially since the off-side was heavily grassed.

The first fifty runs came in the seventh over with both batsmen making full use of anything loose. Their partnership was worth eighty-three runs when A. Wahab went for a pull shot but the ball kept a trifle low and was bowled. Shazaman who was the more aggressive and after passing his fifty was caught miscuing a pull shot.  He made a well deserved fifty-five runs.  At the end of the fifteenth over, Wolfpack was well placed at exactly one-hundred runs for the lost of just the opening pair.

Wolfpack poses with their trophies.

After the break Anand Hargobin and K. Ramcharran built another useful partnership of fifty-five runs.  They started slowly but surely against some better bowling this time around, but eventually got into there strides hitting the ball mercilessly to all parts of the ground until Ramcharran was bowled with a delivery that kept low.  He made twenty-three runs.  D. Autar the captain then joined Hargobin and they added thirty-five runs.  Autar made eighteen runs and Anand Hargobin a well made forty-six runs. Wickets then tumbled at the end in the haste for quick runs. Wolfpack eventually made two-hundred and four runs. 

For Ravens D. Bickram took five wickets for twenty-six runs, Raymond William three wickets for thirty-two runs and F. Beharry two wickets for thirty-four runs. 
 
Knowing that the task ahead was clearly monumental and with there own confidence diminished after the assault from Woolpack’s batsman, Ravens opening pair of S. Harrichand and M. Pestano met with some hostile bowling from W. Azrula and the captain D. Autar.  They survived this assault, but with the first bowling change of the evergreen Adbul Deen, Pestano tried to hit him over long on, only to find Azrula running in and taking a steeping catch. 

Adbul Deen took another wicket in the same over and as the asking rate became highly insurmountable, after batsman kept walking to and from the wicket. The only batsmen for Ravens to offer any resistance to the Wolfpack attack was Harrichand with seventeen runs, Rocky Bansi with an undefeated twenty-one runs and A. Outar who made twenty-two runs. 

Ravens, eventually was bowled out for one-hundred and thirty-seven runs. The pick of the Wolfpack bowling was undoubtedly Adbul Deen who was virtually unplayable and for his remarkable effort, he was named man of the match.  In an effort to give players a chance to bowl, Wolfpack used nine bowlers with A. Azrula, A. Najeer and Anil Hargobin took a wicket each. 

For the hard work, the will that they want to win, for the tremendous team spirit and by being astutely led by D. Autar and with experienced players by his side, Wolfpack showed the grit, class and determination in this final. They were well supported by the rest of the Wolfpack gang especially Kumar. The boys were all ecstatic, and why not! They had every reason to; they just won a final Congratulation!

In Other NYSCL Match Summary
Division IA Premier
Third Place
Mafia won by walkover Vs United Stars

Division IB
Third Place
Spartans won by walkover Vs Master Blaster

Division IIA
Third Place
Champions defeated Eagles

Division IIB
Third Place
Flashers defeated Cricket Internationals

15 Over Knockout
Division I
Essequibo XI defeated N Y All-Star

Division II
Buccaneers defeated N Y Midrise