…Latif, Ramdeen rule their divisons

REGAL Legends played unbeaten to lift their first New York Softball Cricket League (NYSCL) Independence Cup title when the annual tournament ended on Sunday in Queens, New York. Also outstanding individual performances from Surujdeo Ramdeen and Richard Latif helped their teams to come out on top when play ended in fading light on the historic day in America.
In the final played at the Roy Wilkins Park, Regal Legends were sent in by Williamsburg and raced to 237-4 from their 20 overs. Opener, Unis Yusuf blasted the top score of 94 before he was bowled in the 18th over, falling six short of a well-deserved century.

The pugnacious knock from the Herstelling, East Bank Demerara resident was laced with seven sixes and five fours as he finished the tournament with 215 runs from four innings. Also cashing in on the runs fest were other in-form batsmen, Eric Thomas with 72 not out, and Rudolph Baker with a cameo 29. Thomas chalked up 140 runs from three innings while Baker, who got 85 not out against Rockaway Legends, finished the three-day tournament with 172 runs from his three innings.

In reply, a tired looking Williamsburg Legends laboured to 95-8 from their 20 overs, handing Regal Legends a huge 142-run victory. Opener, S. Sackichand threatened momentarily with 27, but the climbing required run rate, but atmospheric heat, tight bowling and excellent fielding were too much to handle and the final panned out to be a one-sided affair.
Bowling for the new champions, there were two wickets each for left-arm spinner, Laurie Singh (2/14) and captain, Mahendra Hardyal (2/20) while David Harper (1/3), Thomas (1/11), Yusuf (1/11) and Parsram Persaud (1/23) supported. Thomas and Harper finished the tournament with six wickets each, Hardyal and Troy Kippins, four each, and Singh and Persaud three each.

Williamsburg were the third opponent of Regal Legends that failed to get past the 100-run mark. Rockaway Legends folded for 30 chasing 254, Marine Masters limped to 80, batting first. Only semi-finalist, NYSCL Legends, with 105 chasing 201 to win, reached triple figures against the clinical Regal bowling attack.
The Legends now join the Regal Open (2017) and Regal Masters (2017) teams to win the Independence Cup.

At the presentation ceremony, Thomas was rewarded for the best bowling figures in a match (4/4) against Marine Masters while Yusuf was named Player of the final for his innings of 94 runs and one wicket. Yusuf was also rewarded for scoring the most runs in the tournament and was adjudged the Most Valuable Player.
In the Open category, Richard ‘Mr. Cricket’ Latif played a lone hand in the final at the same venue to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat to give NYSCL All Stars a close victory with two balls to spare over Kingsmen All Stars. Chasing 195 for victory, the game seemed over when NYSCL All Stars had their top and middle orders back in the hut, but the experienced Latif kept his cool and backed himself to finish the job.

With 39 runs needed from three overs, Latif hit a six in the 18th over then followed up with another six, then a four in the next over to bring the equation down to eight runs to win from the last over.
The Campbellville, Georgetown resident then picked the gaps in the final over for singles and doubles to bring the equation down to one run required for victory from two balls; then a wide was delivered to end the drama. Latif finished on 78 not out.

The elegant right-hander was then the big winner at the awards ceremony, collecting prizes for the Player of the Final (78* and 2/13), Most Runs in the Tournament (180), Most Wickets in the Tournament (8) and the Most Valuable Player.
Greg Singh, of West Bank Demerara, also playing for NYSCL All Stars, won the prize for the Best Bowling Figures in a match, 4/11 against Florida All Stars, while former Guyana and West Indies Youth player, Zamal Khan, representing Kingsmen, won the prize for the highest individual score, 92, versus Fire Links.

In the Masters (over-45) category, New York League side, Cricket Doctors, came out winners after stopping Corriverton Knight Riders in the final. Another Georgetown Softball Cricket League (GSCL) player was instrumental in his side’s success. Surujdeo Ramdeen, who plays for Regal Masters in Guyana, bowled the Cricket Doctors to the championship with inspirational figures of 3/10 in the final.

The right-arm leg-spinner picked up key wickets to reduce the opposition to eight runs short of victory. His accurate bowling earned him the Player of the Final and Most Wickets of the Tournament (6) prizes.
The occasion was the 25th staging of the Independence Cup, which coincides with the USA’s Independence anniversary. This year’s tournament saw 18 teams participating across three venues in Brooklyn and Queens.

There were eight Open teams, four Masters teams and 6 Legends sides. At the closing ceremony, President of the NYSCL, Eric Ferrier, thanked the teams for their participation, congratulated the winners and was in high praise for the committed sponsors. Ferrier also pledged another mega tournament in 2022.