EASTERN AMERICAN CRICKET ASSOCIATION 2006
NY Challengers Holds Top Spot Temporarily

By John L. Aaron
The Eastern American Cricket Association’s 2005 champions New York Challengers made a last minute surge to move past league-leading Enmore Cricket Club last weekend, by defeating Enmore in a head-to-head clash at Lido Beach. The Steve Massiah led Challengers has maintained its dominance over its peer teams after stumbling earlier in the season at the feet of Everest/ACS, while Enmore having lost its opening game to Richmond Hill never checked its rear-view mirror until last Sunday. However, the game was not without the usual controversies in clashes of this magnitude, as Enmore has since filed a protest claiming that Challengers’ roster included two unregistered players.

With the victory NY Challengers attained a season-high maximum of 49 points, while Enmore, holding at 45 points, still has one match left. However, that game is scheduled against the Zamin Amin led Everest/ACS with 47 points and in second-place. Should Enmore defeat Everest/ACS, Enmore will top the league with 50 points. However, if Everest/ACS plays spoiler, the Zamin Amin squad will surge to the top of the league charts with a massive and unbeatable 52 points. Such a scenario will unfortunately nudge Enmore, led by former Guyana national batsman Nazir Mohammed, into third-place, following some outstanding performances that saw the team without any major “recognizable name-brand” players, but leading the EACA for most of this season.

Based on the above scenario and barring a rain-out, it is impossible for NY Challengers to repeat as EACA’s 40-overs champions. Should there be a rain out and two points each are awarded to Enmore and Everest/ACS, then NY Challengers and Everest/ACS would be tied at 49 points. However, since Everest/ACS has beaten NY Challengers in their earlier encounter, Everest/ACS would emerge as this year’s EACA 40-overs champions.

Enmore Challenged
As is the case when two top teams meet, there has to be a winner and unfortunately a loser. In this case Enmore, challenged by NY Challengers at Lido Beach, came up short by three wickets.

Batting first, NY Challengers reached 251 for 7 in their allotted 40 overs. Topping the tins was bowler Kumar Nandalall with 82 and making an unusual appearance in the opening slot. Mahadeo Prasad with 70 (6x4’s and 2x6’s) supplied the support needed, as Challengers’ frontline batsmen failed to register major numbers. Skipper Steve Massiah was returned lbw to J. Persaud without scoring, while the hard-hitting Hemchand Hardeo and Andrew Gonsalves were both run out 5 and 13, respectively. Pacer Kevin Darlington, however, added 27, batting at number eight.

The NY Challengers wickets were shared almost equally among four of the six bowlers employed by Enmore.

In response, Enmore fell short by 44 runs and three wickets, reaching 207 for 7 off 36.4 overs. The leading scorer for Enmore was Deryck Kallicharran with 80 (6x6’s and 5x4’s). Messrs. Darlington, Kumar and Farrouq each grabbed two wickets while Nandalall snared the remaining Enmore wicket.

It was a disappointing loss for Enmore, rupturing a virtually unbeaten season and enjoying the spotlight for quite sometime in the EACA’s twelve-game fixture.

East Bank Fails To Climb Everest
East Bank entered last weekend’s fray against Everest/ACS with 29 points and in the role of spoiler to Everest/ACS’ climb to the top of the standings. However, Everest/ACS with some solid batting across the board kept East Bank at the base of the mountainous point-standings, with a one-wicket victory.

Everest/ACS winning the toss enjoyed an opening stand of 46, before losing S. N. Singh for 23 off 21 balls, including two 6’s and one 4. With a decent knock of 46 from the blade of Amjad Khan (6x4’s) and contributions of 38 and 32 from K. Ganesh and K. Ramsabad respectively, the Everest/ACS batsmen reached 236 for 9 in their allotted 40 overs. A respectable 5.90 runs target of per over, but not outside the reaches of Debo Sankar and Co.

The Everest/ACS wickets fell at 46, 46, 70, 125, 132, 142, 171, 181 and 230. Bowling for East Bank – F. Sooknandan 3 for 51, Sirikissoon 2 for 37 and T. McKenzie 2 for 52 were the principal wicket-takers.

In reply, East Bank with Debo and Royo Sankar anchoring the opening stand reached 25, before the latter Sankar was caught off the bowling of S. Amin for 12. The ensuing batsmen added an average of 25 runs per partnership, before East Bank collapsed for 195 in 40 overs. Topping the tins was Zaheer Sadloo with 42 off 52 deliveries. He was aided and abetted by Deryck McDonald with 33, T. McKenzie, 27 and Debo Sankar, 26.

The East Bank wickets fell at 25, 46, 47, 87, 106, 145, 149, 160 and 180. Bowling for Everest/ACS – Zamin Amin snatched 4 for 32 off his 8 overs, while S. Amin and T. Hastoo each grabbed two wickets apiece.

The result of a pre-season split with Richmond Hill Cricket Club, there is no doubt that if the nucleus of East Bank, viz. Sankar, Sankar and Sadloo stay in tact through next season, the team will be one of the principal contenders within the league. East Bank is a very competitive team and has among its ranks a tremendous amount of cricket talent and experience. Everest/ACS on the other hand has adopted the right approach to longevity, by infusing some younger talent into its ranks – a worthy investment for the future of the team and cricket in general.

Other Contests
In the other contests last week, Empire Mortgage topped East Side Warriors at Heckscher State Park, Bayshore Tigers earned a walkover from Golden Arrow, Canal No. 2 Polder clipped Hillside and Richmond Hill defeated Unified Ambassadors at Randall’s Island. Atlantis enjoyed last weekend’s Bye.

Tomorrow – Atlantis visits Bayshore Tigers at Heckscher State Park I, East Bank tackles Empire Mortgage at Lido Beach and Enmore takes on Everest/ACS at Bay Park. These games all start at 1:00 PM and are slated for 40-Overs each.

Current Points-Standings – As of Saturday, August 19, 2006
1. NY Challengers………………………………..49 Points
2. Everest/ACS…………………………………...47 Points - 1 Game to go
3. Enmore………………………………………...45 Points - 1 Game to go
4. Richmond Hill…………………………………42 Points
5. Empire Mortgage………………………………37 Points - 1 Game to go
6. Atlantis CC – NY………………………….…..32 Points - 1 Game to go
7. East Bank…………………………………....…29 Points - 1 Game to go
8. Golden Arrow………………………………….22 Points - 1 Game to go
9. Bayshore Tigers…………………………….….22 Points
10. East Side Warriors…………………………….16 Points
11. Canal No. 2 Polder…………………………….12 Points
12. Hillside Sports Club………………………...…11 Points
13. Unified Ambassadors…………………………. 2 Points
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