By Frederick Halley

AFTER failing to enter winners’ row in both the Masters and Legends categories in the 19th edition of the New York Softball Cricket League (NYSCL) Independence Cup, played in the “Big Apple” last year, the Legends Over-50 and Masters Over-40 teams will be aiming to make amends when the tournament bowls off tomorrow.

After experiencing some initial problems, which saw the organisers originally planning to stage matches in the Legends and Masters categories, the Open All Stars players will once again have an opportunity to show off their wares.

Day one of last year’s scheduled three-day extravaganza saw Regal Legends suffering a shock exit, the first since these tournaments were inaugurated in either Guyana, New York, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.
Competing in what was described as the “Group of Death,” the defending champions were thrashed by Toronto Blizzards by six wickets in the day’s opener and later by NYSCL Legends 1 by nine wickets in the second game.
The first 10 overs of the day surely didn’t give an indication of what was to unfold later as Regal Legends, asked to take first strike by Toronto Blizzards, reached a comfortable 88 without loss on a sunlit day at Canarsie Park with openers Asif Ali and Uniss Yusuf successfully negotiating the Toronto Blizzards attack.

The loss of Yusuf, brilliantly run out from a direct throw, set the stage for a procession as Regal Legends found the going tough, and were restricted to 150 for seven in their allotted 20 overs.
Apart from Yusuf, who struck four fours and six in his 40, fellow opener Ali also contributed 40 (two sixes). However, the usually formidable middle-order offered token resistance.
Toronto Blizzards made light work of the total with former Guyana player Sunil Dhaniram spanking a fine undefeated 72.
While the Regal Over-40 Masters reached the final, they failed to get past the home team, ending a disappointing tournament for the Campbellville-based teams.

Since the humiliation in New York, Regal Legends also lost to Jai Hind in the final of the 2024 annual Prime Minister’s Cup, returned the favour to the same team in the second edition of the Vice-president’s tournament, carted off the 2025 Republic Cup and more recently defeated nemesis NYSCL in the final of the Orlando Cup.

In the meantime, both Regal Legends and Masters will rely heavily on their trusted players for the three-day showdown which climaxes on Sunday at Baisley Park, 150 Rockaway Boulevard. The Legends Over-50 squad reads: Uniss Yusuf, Rudolph Baker, Surujdeo Ramdeen, Wayne Jones, Eon Abel, Kamraj Sumair, Saheed Mohamed, Laurie Singh, Troy Gobin, Lloyd Ruplall, Farook Qayaam, Stanley Mohabir, Mahendra “Bobby” Parasnauth and Roy Persaud.

Regal Masters: Khemchandra Dindial, Fazal Rafeek, Patrick Rooplall, Lenox Mark, Lakeram Roonarine, Balram Roopnarine, Hemraj Garbarran, Rudolph Johnson, Asif Ali, Ravy Singh, Randolph Ketwaroo, Kumar Ramjit and Tyrone Sanasie.