Titan

Titans Bench Deep With Talent!

Paul Dharmendra Ramkissoon | Date 01/08/11

Many teams in South Florida would have liked to be in the shoes of the Titans last Sunday.  Playoff qualification was already handled and the final game loomed against Lauderhill United II, a team with just a solitary win on the season.  It seemed as a walk in the park was on the cards, until the selectors realized...oh oh, complacency had crept in and suddenly four first choice players were unavailable.  So again, the selectors went to the bench and tried to offer a team with some balance to challenge for the unlikely chance that the #2 spot might be obtained.

On a small ground, the opposing team opted to take first strike.  The skipper turned to his veteran new ball bowler, Paul, only to see two over pitched deliveries dissappear for sixers in the very first over of the match.  The new ball was to be shared by DK, a bench player, whose swing bowling of late has been spot on.  Unfortunately, he also went for a few in his first over.  Suddenly, a doubt may started to creep into the players minds...was today going to be a day when we were missing too much, but if that doubt was there...it did not linger long.  Paul's experience shone through as he bowled the same opener in the next over that had clubbed him for a couple big ones, and went on to bowl out his eight overs on the trot at a decent economy rate.  Similarly, DK responded in his next over by trapping their #3 LBW and things started to come back around.  Rakesh after a couple weeks layoff also turned in a credible performance.  But, the treat of the day, youth bowler, Gowtham, rattled off a spell of tight & tidy bowling that strangled the opposition in the middle overs.  Then skipper Tanmay got into the act and LUCC II managed only 194/7.  All told, it was a more than decent bowling performance, from an attack that featured two reserves, one injured verteran, the vice returning from an injury himself...and only the skipper truly on song in prior weeks...and that too on a tiny ground.

In reply, Chuck and Dalip strode out to bat with Chuck struggling to burn off the birthday alcohol from the night before and Dalip looking to clear the boundaries with glee.  Sadly, Dalip fell early and Chuck was forced to dig in with Tiki.  After a long partnership that set the game on target for an easy Titans victory, Tiki departed unceremoniously short of one run for a half century (49).   Darren, Tanmay & Rakesh did not bother the scorers much and they added some unwanted excitement back to the contest, but with Chuck still ticking away...a win seemed inevitable.  Gowtham (12) joined in for a brief but useful cameo littered with some great shots and then once again the bench depth shone brightly as DK (5*) finished the game off with Chuck (78*) in style.  One moment, that was memorable was when Chuck scored his 19th run on the day, bringing his tally to 500 runs on the season...the congratulatory applause from both teams was a tribute to the spirit of the game.  In the end, Titans had too little to do and won with three overs to spare an even more wickets in hand...in what was a victory that demonstrated the depth and untiy of the squad.

Later in the day, the team descended on Oswald Park to discover thay Port St. Lucie had beated Oswald Park II, vaulting Titans into the #2 spot with homefield advantage for the semi-final match next weekend.  The beer, cake and ice-cream...only made the day more completely and utterly satisfying.

Congrats to skipper Tanmay Kadam for leading his team to a 7-1-1 regular season record, congrats to Chuck for 559 regular season runs, congrats to Titans for a season in which many players put their hands up and the team depth shone brightly. 

But now, that's all in the past...everything starts over...win or go home time is here.  The bench has done it all season, but as they say during playoff time "big players need to show up in big games"...and they don't get any bigger than a rematch with Oswald Park II at John Prince Park this Sunday.  I am a betting man, and I know where my money will be, do you, either way come on out and enjoy what is bound to be a good contest between two playoff ready teams.