How Sweet It Is!!!
Wanderers United Crowned 2008 American League Knock-Out Champions

August 25th, 2008
Finally, after three long and at times difficult years in the runner-up spot, Team Wanderers United have done the business Sunday by knocking off a very talented unit in Melbourne/NY-Alliance at 88th Street in Canarsie Park Brooklyn.

Wanderers United cricket club

On a day perfect for the sport of cricket, the freshly cut grasses and lush tree lined surroundings that adorned Kingsgrove Field played host to a premier match-up that featured the upstart Wanderers United and cross town rivals Melbourne/Alliance in the American Cricket League 2008 Knock-Out Finals.

Bucking league traditions, this epic clash featured two clubs that were not always taken seriously even though they have both had their fair of success in past years. It is fair to say any final in this league without a team from Barbados was unheard off, but today many things would be different and the sweet sound of success would trumpet a changing of the guard.

As for the match, Melbourne/Alliance won the toss and sent the Rabid Lions into bat hoping to take advantage of the good pitch conditions this day. It paid immediate dividends as opener A. Chan whose luck and heroics the previous week had all but faded was dismissed for five in the first over, the score then ten, Clain Williams then joined the confident Zafar Yusuf and together they raced to sixty two before the youngster who had supported so well played to a ball just outside the off stump and was caught behind. It could have gone downhill when Williams (57) was caught trying to go over top with the score at eighty two, in fact it did as Team Wanderers lost another three wickets cheaply for a mere twenty odd runs.

Lucky for the Rabid Lions, a sixty run partnership by middle order batsmen Carlos Roberts and first year man John Florent was on the spot for the defenders and helped steady the innings not to mention provide the Wanderers fans with some much needed fireworks as well, Florent (32) was especially harsh on the opposing bowlers, going deep with punishing shots while Roberts crafted a gem of a knock with his first fifty in blue and pushing the score to a respectable 218 all out.

Team Wanderers opened the bowling with the often deadly lefty Carlos ‘Rusty’ Bachu and newly promoted medium pacer Florent and knowing all too well the reputation of the Melbourne/Alliance batsmen, especially the likes of Shanka, Sudama and the sixteen year old Babolal. While Florent was making the opposing batsmen play the ball, true to form Bachu did what he has become known for and that is take wickets, vital wickets. He first had the youngster caught behind by wicketkeeper Chan, then Mootoo was judged LBW from a beautiful delivery that snuck in and victim number three was Seechan (10) beaten and bowled. Sudama (30) became the fourth as he was smartly out thanks to a one handed catch by Nanton in gully the score just fifty six in over number fifteen.

The writing was on the wall and everyone knew it, it would just be a matter of time and Wanderers had the time and the fortitude to see it through, they had come too far now and no one could take it away. By the time Captain Theron Blain (4wkts) and Roberts (2 wkts) got the ball, the Wanderers United faith full were already celebrating what was sure to come because they had been waiting for so long to taste victory of any kind in this tournament . In the end however Team Wanderers United had completed the business, only Lakman (18) and the nippy Chanka (25) offered any sort of clear resistance and the Alliance were dismissed for 116.

It has been a tough year thus far but it took a total team effort today and we reaped our just rewards. Congrats to all involved including Melbourne/NY-Alliance, we are all proud to be Wanderers United.

M.B.