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GCC all but there
TJF
Cricket – Wiggins Shield
GCC ALL BUT THERE.
The Gibraltar Cricket Club, by virtue of their week-end victory over Grammarians CC., have all but assured themselves of the Wiggins Shield title. Yet again they were heavily indebted to their skipper, Christian Rocca, whose century was his third in as many matches in this competition. GCC are now ten points clear at the top with their last fixture being against PGCC who prop up the table. In the other match played on Saturday UKCCC leap-frogged over Calpe CC after their comfortable win against that Club.
Calpe CC lose their way.
Calpe CC batted first on Saturday and were given a good start by Karan Aswani and Ross Harkins who put on 51 runs before being parted. Harkins was the first to go, trapped leg before by twelve-year-old Joss Hatcher, and the same bowler struck again 27 runs later when he bowled Aswani who was then seven runs short of his half century. Two further wickets fell as the total moved on to 120 when Greg Harris struck a vital blow for his side, accounting for the dangerous David Young, after which wickets fell cheaply leaving the batting side on 152/9 at the end of the allotted thirty overs. For UKCCC Chris Watkins took 3/30, Joss Hatcher 2/21 and Greg Harris 2/32.
Watkins and Steve Martin put on 39 runs for the opening wicket before the former went for 27, after which Martin and Dave Jacobs added a further 41 runs for the second wicket When Jacobs departed, Nick Taylor and Martin took the total within two runs of victory. Martin was then run out but Taylor remained undefeated on 58 as Calpe CC’s total was overhauled without further loss in the 23rd. over. UKCCC took fifteen points from the game to Calpe CC’s two.
Grammarian bowlers struggle.
Grammarians CC won the toss, put the opposition in to bat first and their bowlers found it hard to find a breakthrough as Rocca and young Kieron Ferrary put on 98 runs for the opening wicket in the first sixteen overs of the game. Ferrary was eventually bowled by Raj Kochhar for 37, and Andrew Chipolina went cheaply, but that was to be Calpe’s last success for some time as Rocca and Adrian Hewitt took them to task with a partnership of 92 in double quick time. Rocca departed near the end but Hewitt remained undefeated on 48 as the total rocketed to 209/3 at the end of the allotted thirty overs.
Calpe lost the wicket of newcomer John Day in the seventh ball of their innings after which Mark Bacarese and Mohammed Usman put on 44 runs for the second wicket. When the latter was bowled by Rudi Phillips, Bacarese and Richard Buzaglo became bogged down against some tight bowling. At the half-way fifteen overs stage the total had only progressed to 68, and the need to accelerate the run rate after the mid-innings drinks break resulted in the departure of both batsmen in rapid succession. Kabir Mirpuri and Kayne Peliza showed some defiance towards the end with an unbroken stand of 57 but Grammarians were never in the hunt and ended well short of their target on 151/5, with Mirpuri on 43. Bob Brooks took 3/26 for GCC as that Club went home with sixteen points to Grammarians’ two.
Next Week.
The domestic programme again takes a back seat next week-end as Sporting Alfas CC from Alicante visit our shores. On Saturday they will face a GCA XI whilst on Sunday they will be confronted by Gibraltar’s U19’s. Both matches (40 overs per side) are scheduled to start at twelve noon.
-TJF.
© Gibraltar Cricket Association
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