Domestic season opens with a tight contest


	Cricket Gibraltar Official site of the Gibraltar Cricket Association

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TJF

TIGHT CONTEST OPENS NEW DOMESTIC SEASON.

The 2007 domestic season could not have opened on a more exciting note as Mediterranean CC [formerly UKCCC] and GCC Bwin fought out a nail-biting contest at the end of which both sides finished on the same total. The new format of having the teams bat for fifteen overs alternatively also proved to be popular with the players and helped to add interest to the game.

Ding dong battle.

Mediterranean CC won the toss and inserted their opponents, who made a poor start, losing their first three batsmen with only 31 runs on the board after seven overs. Rudi Phillips and Kieron Ferrary then staged a partial recovery taking the total to 91/3 at the end of fifteen overs.

The first part of Mediterranean CC’s innings followed a similar pattern, three wickets tumbling with 33 runs on the board before Steve Cary and Ashan Alwis doubled that total. Sebastian Suarez then bowled the latter and at the fifteen over stage the total stood on 89/4.

It was then the turn of GCC Bwin to resume their innings and a further 27 runs had accrued before Ferrary was caught behind when four runs short of his half century. When Gary De’Ath swung wildly at a ball from Martin and had his stumps disturbed, the long GCC Bwin tail, consisting of three fourteen year olds and two thirteen year olds, was exposed, but Phillips, who continues to belie his age, showed the youngsters how it was done by reaching a well deserved half century. In the end the whole side was dismissed for 163 with two balls of the thirty overs remaining.

This set Mediterranean CC a target of 75 runs off their final fifteen overs, a rate of exactly five runs an over. They got off to a bad start, losing the wickets of Cary and Shaun Ainsworth soon after the resumption. Their skipper, Chris Watkins, however, looked in good form and so long as he remained at the crease his side were favourites to pull off a win. When he was finally trapped leg before by that man Phillips for 33, the total stood on 141, five overs still remained for his side to score a further 23 runs. However, Ian Farrell and Phillips then accounted for Shaun Ainsworth and Joss Hatcher respectively for the addition of a mere six runs, and excitement mounted at the prospect of a very close finish. Steve Martin was holding one end up well but Farrell then struck again to dispose of Mark Lincoln and this brought young Daniel Cary to the crease with the result very much in the balance. Fourteen year old Rahul Daswani was brought on to bowl the final over with six runs required for victory. Martin hit the first ball for two and the second for a single to expose young Cary. A wide brought the total within two of victory, and when Cary hit the final ball for two there was wild jubilation amongst the Mediterranean players until umpire Chandiramani signalled one short run to bring the scores level at 163 runs each.

De’Ath was GCC Bwin’s outstanding bowler, returning figures of 3/14 whilst Suarez, Farrell and Phillips claimed two victims each. For Mediterranean CC, young Joss Hatcher took 3/34 and Ainsworth 2/38. Mediterranean CC took eleven points from the game to GCC Bwin’s ten.

Next Week.

Two more Benrimoj/Wiggins Shield matches are scheduled for next week-end. GCC Bwin will be in action again on Saturday, this time taking on newcomers Gib RFU, whilst Mediterranean CC take on Calpe CC on the Sunday.

-TJF