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WEEK-END OF TIGHT CONTESTS

The week-end Caleta Hotel League action produced two very tight contests with the results in both matches going right down to the wire.  At Europa, Calpe CC defeated GCC by the narrowest of margins (one run), so that the latter will have to wait for the outcome of their last match of the season, against UKCCC, to see whether they can clinch their first league title since 1998.   At the Stadium, UKCCC maintained their second place in the table and their challenge for the title with another narrow win against Grammarians CC. who are now out of the race.

Nerves on edge at Europa.

Calpe CC, already missing some of their stars now back in the UK to resume their studies, must have felt apprehensive at the prospect of facing the league leaders, yet they gave a good account of themselves.  Batting first, they were given a good, if slow, start by Ross Harkins and Akhil Viz who put on 48 runs in the opening fifteen overs.   When Viz was run out for 17 and Mark Garratt had Harkins caught by Chris Allan for 33, Steven Gonzalez and Iain Latin added a further 43 runs for the third wicket before the former became Garratt’s second victim when nine short of his half century.    At that stage the Calpe total stood on 118/3 with only eight overs remaining but Latin then set about the bowling reaching his half century before perishing to Rudi Phillips, and aided and abetted by useful contributions from Robbie Skinner and Andrew Reyes the Calpe total moved on to 181/6 at the end of the allotted forty overs.   For GCC Phillips returned figures of 3/34 and Garratt 2/51.     Bob Brooks remained wicket-less but only conceded thirteen runs off his eight overs.

Harkins, after peppering Kieron Ferrary with a series of bouncers, finally induced the batsman to nick one to wicket-keeper Andrew Reyes with the total on 17.   When Latin bowled Gary De’Ath and Gonzalez did the same to Chris Allan, the GCC innings was beginning to crumble, and worse was to follow as the Gonzalez-Latin combination accounted for Phillips (25) and Viz captured the valuable wicket of Christian Rocca (21).    Viz struck again to trap Garratt leg before and at 103/6 GCC were staring an unlikely defeat in the face.    At that point, Adrian Hewitt and Terence Garcia began a fight back, putting on 37 runs for the seventh wicket before Harkins returned to the attack and had the former caught behind for 23.   Robbie Skinner then  struck twice in the 34^th. over to account for Garcia (27) and Gareth Dobinson for nought, and with five overs left GCC still required 24 runs for victory with the last pair, Brooks and Michael Escott, at the crease.   Midst mounting excitement, these two gradually pushed the total nearer and nearer to their target.   The 39^th. over, bowled by Latin, was a maiden, which meant that GCC required six runs to tie the match and seven to win it in the final over.    Four runs came from the first three balls, bowled by Viz, and one more from the fifth.   GCC now required two runs to win off the last ball.  Escott pushed the ball towards short mid wicket and set off for the run, only to see Latin pick up and hit the wicket direct to give his side victory by one run.   It had been an excellent game of cricket.   Harkins, Gonzalez and Skinner each took two wickets as Calpe CC went home with seventeen points to GCC’s five.

UKCCC pip Grammarians at the post.

At the Victoria Stadium, UKCCC won the toss and inserted their opponents.  Mark Bacarese and Kabir Mirpuri started steadily enough, 37 runs coming in the opening ten overs.   At that point, Chris Watkins struck twice in as many overs to account for both openers, Hugo Adair taking the catches behind the stumps.   Roy Rodgers then shattered Mohammed Usman’s stumps and Watkins took the wickets of George Shacaluga and Ryan Gonzalez in successive balls.   When Rodgers again hit the stumps to account for Sebastian Suarez, Grammarians were reeling on 77/6.   Charlie Harrison and Richard Buzaglo then halted the slide with a seventh wicket stand of 56 before Neeraj Punjabi entered the action, bowling Harrison and trapping Raj Kochhar leg before.   Buzaglo went on to make 48 before being stumped by Watkins (now turned wicket keeper) off the bowling of Hugo Adair (now turned bowler), and Grammarians were eventually all out for 148 in 36.3 overs.   Watkins returned figures of 4/21, whilst Rodgers and Punjabi claimed two victims apiece.

UKCCC lost the early wicket of Hugo Adair, caught behind by Buzaglo off the bowling of Suarez, and with Steve Martin bogged down, runs were slow in coming, the total standing on 30/1 after ten overs.     Henry Adair then came to the wicket and the scoring rate immediately picked up.    Martin duly departed, after which Kean Olivero kept Adair company whilst a further 28 runs accrued.   With the total on 90, UKCCC experienced a horrendous collapse, four wickets tumbling, including that of Adair (45), for the addition of only three runs, and when Suarez struck for the third time to account for Steve Cary, the UKCCC total had plummeted to 101/7.   Chris Watkins and Chris Perkins then steadied the boat, adding 41 runs for the eighth wicket, but with seven runs still required Usman accounted for Perkins and Watkins was run out.   Four runs were then required for victory with the last pair at the wicket, and these duly came with the help of a couple of wides.  For Grammarians, Suarez took 3/29 and Emerson 3/44.  UKCCC picked up fifteen points from the game to Grammarians’ four.

Remaining fixtures:

Saturday, 1^st. October     PGCC v Grammarians.

Saturday, 8^th. October    GCC v UKCCC.

Sunday, 9^th. October       Grammarians CC v Calpe CC

Next Week.

There is one Caleta Hotel league match scheduled for next week-end, PGCC taking on Grammarians at Europa, starting at 11.30am..

                                                                                                                        -TJF