Azeemuddin Khan, Altaaf Habibulla, Derick Narine, and Michael Sultan lead the batting and bowling statistics for Richmond Hill Liberty Cricket Club (RHLCC) as the team surges into the New York National Cricket League (NYNCL) playoffs. RHLCC is participating in the League’s two competitions; a 25-overs Saturday league and a 30-over Sunday league. The Queens, NY club secured playoff spots in both leagues, topping the table on Saturday and finishing second on Sunday. Khan & Narine leads the batting charts on Saturday and Sunday respectively while Habibulla is on top for the Sunday league wickets and Sultan for the Saturday league.
Sunday League
After going undefeated until the halfway stage RHLCC met Everest/ACS for the fifth league match. The perennial E/ACS showed up ready for competition and walked away with an 81 runs victory. Batting first E/ACS posted 201/8 at The Cage. Assad Fudadin picked up 3 wickets while Terrence Madramootoo (2), Keron Sewnaraine (1), and Neive McNally (1) supported. Marinaro Dixon top-scored with 66. Alex Amsterdam countered with 43 for RHLCC but did not find much support when the home team was bowled out for 120 in the 25th over.
Getting back into the winning column, the Galaxy Maids sponsored RHLCC delivered a commanding 6 wicket win over Valley Stream Lions (VSL). Captain, Trevor Henry, picked up his first 5-wicket haul for the club to restrict VSL to 91 all out in the 22nd over. Davendra Ramdeo picked up 2 wickets while Jamiel Jackman and Madramootoo scalped one each. Madramootoo returned to hammer 39 not out to help wrap up the chase in the 13th over. Khan supported with 20 and Henry 17 runs.
The SVC Sawh Voltcomm backed RHLCC further enforced its dominance in the league when they delivered a massive 314 runs win over Long Island XI on September 13th. Khan once again led the charge with a brilliant century. Striking 4 sixes and 12 fours Khan finished with 105 runs off 70 balls. His opening partner Dino Chooweenam scored 58 while Sewnarine scored a shotgun 65 off 24 balls and Habibulla 59 off 36 balls to post a mammoth 347/7 off the 30 overs. Habibulla returned to post record bowling figures of 8 wickets for 4 runs in his 6 overs with 2 maidens. Jackman partnered Habibulla with the new ball to bowl out LIXI for 33.
RHCC’s final game did not bowl off when the opposition forfeited. At the end of the league stage, RHLCC finishes in second place having won 6 of the 8 matches, lost one, and a rain-out for one.
Khan (224), Chooweenam (115), Amsterdam (111), Sewnarine (96), and Habibulla (96) are the top 5 runs scorer for #TheBlueNation. Khan also sits in second place as the leading runs scorer for the league. Habibulla (9), Fudadin (8), Madramootoo (7), Henry (7), and Mohabir (6) are the top 5 wicket-takers.
The Century 21 Professional Realty backed RHLCC will begin their playoff campaign on Sunday, October 4th with a location and opponent to be announced.
Saturday League
After winning three matches and losing one at the halfway stage RHLCC took on Sher-e-Punjab at the Cage. A devastating assault by Neive McNally, scoring 82 runs off 36 balls, led to RHLCC posting 213 for 6 in 20 overs. McNally found support from Derick Narine 32, Francis Mendonca 29, and Avinash Sookraj 26. Sher-e-Punjab staged a counter-attack after losing three early wickets but fell short by 58 runs. Michael Sultan picked up 2 wickets while there was a wicket each for McNally, Madramootoo, and Khan.
Next up the Rockaway Group of Companies backed RHLCC took on Hunters CC (HCC) in what ended up in a thrilling encounter. Batting first RHLCC scraped up 114 for 9 in 25 overs thanks mainly to Videsh Singh’s unbeaten 37 late in the order. HCC looked well placed to wrap up the chase at 81 for 2 in the 13th over but a gutsy bowling and fielding performance led by Sultan’s 6 wickets for 14 runs off 5 overs saw RHLCC bowl out the opposition for 99. A wicket each for Jason Rooney, Chooweenam, and Singh supported Sultan.
On next to Mavericks CC (MCC) where RHLCC scored 227 for 5 off the 25 overs allotment. Dino Chooweenam (83; 7×4 and 5×6) and Derick Narine (67; 3×4 and 6×6) staged an opening partnership onslaught scoring 163 runs off 16.3 overs. Khan added 35 to the inning to support the final total. Leon Mohabir led the defense with three wickets while there were 2 wickets each for Rooney and Sultan and 1 each for Moien Khan and Terrence Madramootoo. The combined efforts wrapped up MCC’s chase at 110 all out in the 20th over.
For the final game of the league stage, RHCC took on Phoenix Stars CC (PSCC) in what resulted in another thrilling finish. Batting first RHLCC posted 131 for 9 in their 25 overs. Sewnarine’s 46 runs off 39 balls led the scoring. PSCC approached the case cautiously but it always appeared that it was slipping away from them. It eventually came down to needing 22 runs off the last two overs with 3 wickets in hand. Sewnarine sent down the 24th over for just 6 runs leaving Sultan to defend 16. A second ball six in Sultan’s over added some excitement but that was quickly tamed as the last 4 balls only wen for 3 runs to wrap up a 6 runs win for RHLCC. Sultan finished with 3 wickets while Sewnarine and Madramootoo picking up 2 and 1 each.
Derrick Narine (167), Azeemuddin Khan (125), Dino Chooweenam (104), and Neive McNally (96) are the top 5 runs scorer for RHLCC. On the bowling front Michael Sultan (15), Jason Rooney (9), Terrence Madramootoo (6), Keron Sewnarine (6), and Leon Mohabir (5) are the top 5 wicket-takers.
The Cricket Helmet Covers Inc. backed RHLCC will begin its Saturday League playoff campaign on Saturday, October 3rd against Punjab 11 at a location to be announced.
The 2020 Liberty Sports Club Inc. is based in Queens, New York, and is locally supported by SVC Sawh Voltcomm, Century 21 Professional at 119-17 Rockaway Blvd, Galaxy Maids, Rockaway Group of Companies, EBS, LLC, and Cricket Helmet Covers, Inc. The club has open membership to all who are interested. Reach out to us via our social media sites by searching ‘Richmond Hill Liberty Cricket Club’ or @LibertySportsC and www.LibertySportsClub.org.
