The Richmond Hill Liberty Cricket Club put in another dominating performance in the EACA 40-Overs competition on Sunday, June 16th to defeat Galaxy Cricket Club. RHLCC was well on track to turn in another commanding performance against Big Apple Cricket Club on June 23rd before the game was abandoned. Dominique Rikhi headlined both games with impressive knocks of 77 not out and 91 in the respective games. Terrence Madramootoo’s 4-wicket haul against GCC and Dino Chooweenam’s brutal 69 off 30 balls against BACC also shared the highlights over the two weekends. The continued performance of the team resulted in being on top of the EACA points table after the first round of games.
June 16th – vs Galaxy CC at Bay Park
The day began with RHLCC claiming the toss and asking GCC to take first strike. Opening bowlers Trevor Henry and Jamiel Jackman kept the GCC openers in check and struck soon after. The going was slow for GCC from there onwards and came almost to a standstill when Altaaf Habibulla was introduced into the attack.
Habibulla removed opener Moshin Perkhan and continued to bowl 8 consecutive overs for just 12 runs including four maidens. With Habibulla building the pressure Kiefer Phill tightened the screws and knocked over two of the GCC batsmen. Madramootoo joined the attack shortly after and immediately reaped the benefit of the tight bowling combinations. He would run through the middle order of GCC claiming 4 wickets for 43 runs with one maiden.
Karan Ganesh (31) and Yudesh Bissnauth (23) staged a mini fightback for the 7th wicket but it wasn’t strong enough to hold off the RLCC bowlers. Following their departure the GCC innings wrapped up quickly at 128 all out in the 40th over. Rounding out the #TheBlueNation bowling in support of Madramootoo’s four wickets, Phill picked up two wickets along with a wicket each for Henry, Habibulla and Mohabir..
In responds to the 128 runs posted by GCC Dominic Rikhi and Dino Chooweenam got after the chase with strong purpose. Choweenam led the way with a quick fire 21 before he was contentiously given caught behind. Trevor Henry joined Rikhi and the pair made light work of the remaining runs. Rikhi, who is in top form, posted his 3rd consecutive 50 plus score. He followed up his century from the previous Sunday with an unbeaten 77 in the Chase. Henry would finish unbeaten on 26 as the top three RHLCC batsmen wrapped up the chase in the 19th over.
June 23rd – vs BACC at The Cricket Cage
In bright sunshine and with a small crowd building at the popular Baisley Cage captain Dominique Rikhi won the toss and decided to have his Richmond Hill Liberty CC take first strike against the defending champions, Big Apple CC. Rikhi along with opening partner Dino Chooweenam wasted no time smashing the first ball of the match for six and going on to take 19 off of the first over.
The imposingly aggressive Chooweenam blasted to his second half-century of the season off just 24 balls. He hit 6 fours and four sixes on his way there and would continue to hit one more boundary and two more maximums by the time he was dismissed 6 balls late for 69. Rikhi meanwhile was building his inning and chipping in with his own fireworks.
The dominating right hander posed his fourth consecutive 50-plus score with an aggressive 91 before succumbing, bowled to a Shaquille Williams beauty. This was not before hitting 7 sixes and 6 maximums.
BACC picked up one more wicket before the game was abandoned with the score on 189 after 20 overs. The abandonment was due to safety concerns for attendees of a festival which was being hosted in the basketball/play area on the other side of the cage near to the handball court.
The two teams will split the points from the game resulting in RHLCC finishing at the top of the points table after the first round of the double round-robin competition.
#TheBlueNation start the second round of games taking on New York Kings Cricket Club on Sunday June 30th at Lido Beach.