(Celebrating 46th Anniversary): – Cosmos faced a steep challenge once again, reminiscent of last season’s opener. Just like then, they let a strong position slip through their fingers. This time, however, they seemed completely unprepared against an opponent—Stallions—who had previously been a lesser threat in their last three meetings. With the intensity of the season increasing, this match may linger unsettlingly in their memory as a missed opportunity.
The day began, and ended, with a chill in the air after Captain Devindra Balgobin lost the toss and was asked to bat first on a damp wicket. Even with the tricky conditions, the Cosmos top order crumbled to what many saw as an underwhelming bowling attack. Daniel Chunilall went for a lackluster 1, carelessly glancing at a legside wide for a leading edge that sent him packing far too early. Antanio Rooplall fared no better, falling for just 3 when he was hit on the pads by a straight ball that had every right to be handled. Yogeshwar Ramgobin managed 29 runs but looked as though he was more interested in cruising along than capitalizing on the opportunity. Labored and out of rhythm, he ended up succumbing to a catch at mid-off. Ghanam Tariq, who appeared solid for a while, chased an ambitious drive that went straight to deep point. With the top order back on the sidelines, Cosmos found themselves in a dire situation at 54 for 4 by the 12th over.
However, Captain Balgobin demonstrated his leadership skills, stepping up with maturity alongside Akash Rahim to repair the early damage. This 5th wicket partnership was crucial, knitting together an 89-run partnership that took Cosmos up to 143 in the 26th over. Balgobin looked like a man on a mission, cruising to 45 runs off 44 balls. Rahim, on the other hand, seemed to drive his innings like a vintage 1960 Datsun with a funky sticker—stuck in first gear and out of sync with the flow of the game. After looking to accelerate the run rate, Balgobin’s innings came to a halt when he swung once too often at a full toss and missed, marking another missed chance to shine in an otherwise challenging season.
Veteran player Sohan Dass, a former Guyana National Team member, briefly reminded everyone how to hit cleanly, if only the younger players had taken notes. He sent the ball over mid-wicket before elegantly driving through mid-off. Alex Chunilall added some sparks to the innings, striking boundaries all around the ground in a whirlwind 7-ball knock of 15 runs. Ultimately, the Cosmos managed to compile a competitive total of 180 for 6 from their allotted 30 overs, despite their shaky start. M. Mohammed and K. Buddy were the pick of the bowlers for Stallions, taking 2 for 35 and 2 for 42 respectively.
Back to defend their total, Cosmos kept finding ways to let Stallions back into the game. An early spill by Alvin Gobin from D. Puran set a tone of uncertainty. Following a dismissal of K. Das by Gourdeen, everything seemed stable only for the Stallions to reel off a stellar partnership of 92 runs between Puran and M. Mohammed in just 11 overs. It was as if they were batting on a different pitch altogether. They capitalized on every loose ball, taking reconstructing the chase with ease, while Cosmos’ bowlers struggled to find any consistent line or length, spraying the ball all over the place.
Despite a poor start, the game turned briefly when Thakoordeen broke the partnership, with Ramgobin taking a sharp catch at extra-cover to dismiss Puran (50), while Chunilall redeemed himself by holding a catch for Mohammed (55) at deep mid-off, after a previous drop earlier. With the score at 143 for 4 and only 37 runs needed, Cosmos had a glimmer of hope, but their bowlers continued to falter. Additional wickets followed, but mistakes in the field—like an easy drop and a missed run out when the score was at 166 for 7—sealed their fate. In the end, Stallions cruised to victory, finishing at 181 for 7 in just 27 overs.
T. Thakoordeen emerged as the standout bowler for Cosmos with impressive figures of 4 for 38, while G. Gourdeen took 1 for 27. The upcoming match against Imperial next Sunday will be a critical one for Cosmos, as they look to turn the tide and bring their season back on track.
Image Source: usacricket.org
