Hundreds for both US opening batsmen in New York league
Tony Munro - 6 June 1999

United States national team opening batsmen, Thackurdeen Dhanraj (Nassau League) (113 n.o.) and Dave Wallace (New York League) (112) both scored centuries for their respective teams in the opening round of the 18th New York Inter-League competition last weekend.

Dhanraj's unbeaten 'tonne' proved fruitless for debutante team, Nassau League, as New York League overtook Nassau's total with the loss of only three wickets with five overs to spare.

The other newcomer to what is arguably the United States' strongest inter-league competition, Bangladesh, makes its debut today against Commonwealth League.

New York cricket officials hope to make 'The Big Apple' the Mecca of cricket in North America, claiming the basics are there with 200 clubs playing in eight leagues and a steady flow of incoming talent from the West Indies.

Officials would like to see the inter-league concept spread across the United States into a formalised structure.

The eight teams are split into two groups. These are:

Group One - Metropolitan League, American League, New York League, Nassau League Group Two - Eastern American League, Brooklyn League, Commonwealth League, Bangladesh League.

The Garden State (New Jersey) and Connecticut Leagues participated until 1997.

Last weekend's results -

New York Cricket League defeated Nassau Cricket League - reduced to 45 overs Nassau League 231-6 (45 overs) (Thackurdeen Dhanraj 113 n.o., Suresh Singh 46) lost to New York League 233-3 (40 overs) (Dave Wallace 112, Gary Wildman 35 n.o.) by seven wickets.

Metropolitan Cricket League defeated American Cricket League Metropolitan League 230 (49 overs) (Richard Staples 68, Compton Adams 44) defeated American League 207 (45 overs) (Curtis Campbell 76, Fabien Skeete 23, Shawn Skeete 23; Richard Staples 4-35) by 23 runs.

Eastern American Cricket League defeated Brooklyn Cricket League Brooklyn 207-5 (45 overs) (Selwyn Ramphall 76 n.o.) lost to Eastern American 211-4 (Derrick Kallicharran 107 n.o.) by six wickets.

Commonwealth League vs. Bangladesh League - rescheduled until today (June 5).