Triumphant New York U-19s Docked $1400

By Orin Davidson
A prank between team members ended up costing the New York Under-19 team $1,400 in extra hotel charges following their triumphant performance in Florida last weekend.

According to reports, one player raised an alarm in more ways than one by causing the entire hotel they stayed at, to be evacuated at 2 a.m. Sunday after inadvertently triggering the fire alarm.

Manager Lester Hooper said the player sprayed the contents of his room’s fire extinguisher on two teammates in retaliation for being painted with shaving cream on three separate occasions.

The mineral contents of the extinguisher triggered the entire hotel’s alarm system as a result, which caused panic among the guests who all had to be awakened and ushered out of the building.

Hooper said the upheaval started hours after the team defeated Southern California in the final to win the title on Sunday.

The two players decided to prank the offender in his sleep, which is considered normal behavior among youngsters on cricket tours.

They had collected a copy of the player’s room key from the Front Desk and proceeded to plaster his body with the shaving cream. After the third occasion, the player got irate and grabbed the extinguisher.

Not aware of the repercussions of its indiscriminate use, he chased the two to their rooms and sprayed from under the doors.

Soon the hotel was engulfed with resulting gas and the shrill ringing of the alarm system.

Fire trucks raced to the scene followed by police, but fortunately the hotel manager did not press charges.

But he billed the team instead for damages which will have to be settled by the team.

So far no action has been taken against the offending players
Hooper said to make matters worse some team members had to endure a three-hour long wait at La Guardia Airport when the team arrived back in New York on Monday night, in two batches.
For the first batch it was an entire day of traveling after leaving Fort Lauderdale airport from early morning and enduring a lengthy stopover in Atlanta.

The manager said the cash strapped team was not catered for on its triumphant return home.

It added to their frustration of not being rewarded with proper prizes for their exploits.

The players were given medals instead of a trophy for winning the tournament.
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