NYSCL/New York Independence Cup 2019 Regal Masters stumble at final hurdle after batting meltdown

Jul 02, 2019 Sports

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A match-winning 65-run sixth wicket partnership between Erapalli Sahadeo and Nandalall Doodnauth, combined with a four-wicket haul by Navin Narine handed New York Softball Cricket League (NYSCL) Masters a five-wicket victory over 2018 champions Regal Masters on Sunday last at Baisley Pond Park to bring the curtains down on annual NYSCL Independence Cup in Queens, New York.

The final lived up to the billing of being highly competitive and swung in multiple directions before the dust settled in fading light in front of a large and vocal crowd highly in favour of the home team.
When Doodnauth swept Throy Kippins for a boundary off the first ball of the penultimate over, NYSCL Masters had completed the shocking task of beating a very clinical Regal Masters unit by five wickets with 11 balls to spare.
Doodnauth finished on 26 not out (3×4) while the more attacking Sahadeo who brought up his half century in the match-changing 18th over was left not out on 50 (3×6 2×4). Sahadeo batted at number three and featured in two crucial partnerships to take guide his team.
Set 131 to win from 20 overs on a tricky but hard pitch and on a slope with big outfield, NYSCL lost opener Karramchand Panday (04) in the second over brilliantly caught by Eric Thomas keeping up to Kippins.

Sahadeo, who was later named Man-of-the-Match, then joined Rishi Singh in the middle where they put on 47 important runs but at a slow rate which gave Regal Masters some hope. Their optimism was further stretched when Ramesh Narine got the breakthrough in his first over, the ninth of the innings at 53-2 when Singh who made 22 offered a regulation catch off the top edge to backward point.
At the halfway stage it was even-steven at 60-2 with NYSCL Masters still needing 71 runs from 60 balls to dethrone Regal but after the resumption the defending champions hit back with a triple blow.

In the 11th over, Ramesh Narine clean bowled Faizul Ulla (05) before knocking over Ravi Sahadeo with the next ball for a duck. Incoming batsman Abdul Hafeez survived the hat trick ball, but was not so lucky in the next over when he lost his leg stump to left-arm spinner, Laurie Singh also for a duck at 66-5.
At this stage, Regal Masters and their supporters felt that their spin twins Narine and Singh had it all wrapped up. Sahadeo found a useful partner in Doodnauth and they were watchful to the spinners. With 38 runs needed from 24 balls Regal Masters captain Mahendra Hardyal opted for pace, a decision that backfired.
Over number 17 bowled by David Harper cost 23 runs including 2 no-balls, 3 wides, one four and a six. In the context of the game it was very expensive leaving the equation at 15 runs to win from 18 balls.
Experienced fast bowler Mahendranauth Parasnauth then came up for his final over only to be dispatched for 11 leaving the hosts with 12 balls to get just four runs and a maiden title which was easily done at the start of the next over.
The wicket takers were spinners Narine with 3-17, Singh 1-14 and Kippins 1-27 while Harper (0-39) and Parasnauth (0-26) proved expensive. Earlier, the Regal Masters’ innings was a start-stop one with steady bowling, bad shot selection and rain creating drama. Throughout the tournament, the Guyana side won the toss and batted and in the final the trend continued but not the luck.
Uniss Yusuf and Eion Abel got the men in green and yellow off to a good start reaching 42 without loss halfway through the fifth over before disaster struck. In Navin Narine’s first over Yusuf attempted his trademark sweep shot and was bowled for 15 (2×4) and two balls later Kippins too attempted to sweep and was easily taken at short backward square for a duck.
They were quickly followed by Ramesh Narine (01), Harper (02) and Mohendra Arjune (02) and the champs had suddenly lost five wickets for 12 runs to be reeling at 54-5 after nine overs. Abel and Lloyd Ruplall then tried to repair the damage but were held up for about an hour due to rain at 66-5 after 11 overs.
After the break, Abel was caught at cover for 36 (3×4) in the 12th over before Eric Thomas and Ruplall put together the best partnership of the innings. The pair put on 55 before Thomas was bowled in the final over of the innings for 38 (4×6 1×4) leaving Ruplall not out on a patient 19 (28 balls) and Regal Masters at 130 for 7.
In the preliminary stage of the tournament, Regal made 129 which turned out to be adequate when they routed NYSCL Masters for 107 but this time, 130 was just about 20 runs short. In the other categories of the tournament which started last Friday, defending champions SVC All Stars beat NYSCL All Stars in a repeat of the 2018 Open finals while Toronto Blizzards beat NY Hustlers to take the Pro title (over-50).
The other Guyanese team, Fishermen Masters were knocked out at the semi final stage when they were bowled out for 69, replying to 228-7 made by Regal Masters, to lose by 159 runs in their NYSCL Independence Cup debut.

 

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