|
Calpe CC dent GCC's unbeaten record
TJF
CALPE DENT GCC’S UNBEATEN RECORD.
Calpe CC threw the Senior League wide open as they dented GCC’s unbeaten record at the Victoria Stadium on Saturday. Highlights of the game were a five wicket haul by young Robbie Skinner, ably supported at the other end by Iain Latin, and a match-winning rearguard action innings from Paul Buttigieg.
Skinner surprises GCC.
GCC won the toss, chose to bat first and were given a solid start by Christian Rocca and Ian Farrell who put on 79 runs for the first wicket in sixteen overs. This should have proved the launch-pad for a substantial total but GCC had not accounted for the slow bowling of Skinner and Latin. The former struck the first blow, bowling the dangerous Rocca who had just passed his half century, and Latin struck a vital blow for his side when he bowled Steven Gonzalez first ball. Worse was to follow for the batting side as Skinner took a hard return catch to account for Kieron Ferrary and Latin finally brought Farrell’s long, laborious innings to a close. When Skinner bowled Mark Garratt for nought, the GCC total had slumped to 104/5, and the entry of Kabir Mirpuri into the attack kept the momentum going for the fielding side as he accounted for Adrian Hewitt (22) and Chris Allan , and Skinner then hit the stumps twice more to account for Sebastian Suarez and Rudi Phillips. Bob Brooks and Michael Escott offered some defiance at the end with an unbroken tenth wicket partnership of 21, but at the end of the allotted forty overs, the total stood at a very moderate 151/9. Skinner returned figures of 5/36, Latin took 2/21 and Mirpuri 2/15.
David Young and Mirpuri also gave their side a good start with an opening stand of 78, most of the runs coming from the former’s blade. The introduction of Gonzalez into the attack, however, changed the complexion of the contest as he had Mirpuri caught by Rudi Phillips and the bowler himself took a brilliant return catch to remove Young who was then on 62. When he followed this up by accounting for Chris Phillips leg before, only Latin and Buttigieg stood between a GCC victory and the long and very young Calpe tail. These two took the total along to 134 when Farrell took a good catch at deep gully off the bowling of Chris Allan to remove Latin, and with mostly thirteen and fourteen year-olds to come, GCC must have scented victory at this stage. However, Buttigieg remained firm eventually hitting the winning run in the 32nd. over; his undefeated 32 had been a crucial factor in Calpe’s victory. For GCC, Gonzalez returned figures of 3/25. Calpe CC took sixteen points from the game to GCC’s three.
© Gibraltar Cricket Association
|
Email This Article To Someone!