Last Sunday, the atmosphere at Baisley Pond was electric, albeit overshadowed by some disappointment as Ghanam Tariq led the way with a gritty half-century for Cosmos against Phoenix Knights. It’s always a treat to play at Baisley, but the outfield’s poor condition was a noticeable letdown. It’s puzzling, really—given the team spirit and camaraderie that cricket fosters, why let such small issues sour the atmosphere? Unfortunately, it seems that behind the scenes, there are forces at work that continue to ripple through our community, distracting us from what should be a straightforward game. On top of the sweltering heat, we were recently informed that we couldn’t play with the matting traditionally used on the wicket. Not that we were keen on it; so we opted for our own New York National Cricket League matting. Just to make it clear, the NYNCL president insists on this—no ifs, ands, or buts about it.
It’s funny how Homo sapiens are touted as the pinnacle of evolution. After witnessing the power plays that emerged last Sunday, one has to wonder. The extent of divisiveness and manipulation that plagued the day truly left a sour taste. It’s baffling; a game of cricket should unite us, not drive us apart. Instead, we witnessed a scene that could only be described as pure ugly—a telling reminder that while the game itself can serve as a beautiful platform for friendship and community, shadowy forces often wrap themselves around it, threatening to choke the very essence of sport. For the Cosmos team, though, we’ve managed to drift far from those unnecessary dramas, focusing more on the game itself and less on the noise that seems to surround some corners of the cricketing community.
On the field, Tariq took the reins after Devin Persaud was dismissed for 10 with the scoreboard reading 28. He and Antanio Rooplall formed a vital partnership, stitching together 70 crucial runs at the second wicket. Rooplall, looking solid, unfortunately fell to a foolish shot, dabbling a leg-side delivery into the hands of the waiting fielder at gully. Tariq, on the other hand, was in fine form, pushing through the heavy outfield despite the lack of reward for his strokes. However, even he succumbed to a reckless moment, rushing down the wicket and swinging wildly—an error that cost him his wicket. Although Cosmos faced a couple of quick setbacks, we were still in a strong position at 122 for 3, but before we could mount a final charge, our middle-order faltered, quickly dropping to 141 for 7 with some airy-fairy shots that left us teetering. Thankfully, Mark Kippings and Baveshwar Utam held their nerve, adding a vital 27 runs to propel Cosmos to a competitive total of 168 for 7 in our 30 overs. A. Emon proved to be the standout bowler for the Knights, claiming 5 wickets for 24 runs.
Ryan Ganesh has been on a roll this season, consistently delivering solid performances. He stepped up again, producing another stellar spell to keep Cosmos firmly in the mix. He dismissed both openers, with an exceptional catch from Tariq at deep mid-off off N. Ahmed’s bat and another catch by Balgobin behind the stumps. Heading into halftime, we had successfully contained the opposition to 64 for 3. Post-break, we seized the moment, tightening our grip as Phoenix’s run rate crept higher. Mark Kippings and Towgeshwar Thakoordeen unleashed impressive spells, running through the middle order and claiming three wickets apiece. Sohan Dass and Baveshwar Utam then cut through the tail, leaving Phoenix bowled out for just 107, gifting Cosmos a convincing 61-run victory. The figures tell the tale: M. Kippins with 3 for 23, T. Thakoordeen 3 for 21, and R. Ganesh 2 for 22.
Image Source: N. Ahmed @ Instagram
