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Wiggins/Benrimoj Shield wide open
TJF
SHIELD TITLE RACE WIDE OPEN.
The Wiggins/Benrimoj Shield match between Mediterranean CC and Calpe CC at the Victoria Stadium on Saturday saw fortunes fluctuating one way then the other, Calpe CC eventually achieving what at one stage had looked like a highly unlikely victory to leave the title race for this competition wide open.
Mediterranean CC in command of first half.
Calpe CC batted first and were given a slow but steady start by Scott Chipolina and Mark Bacarese who put on 33 runs in the opening seven overs before the former sliced a square cut off the bowling of Steve Cary into the hands of Shaun Ainsworth in the gully. This brought John Hazell to the crease and runs continued to be slow in coming. Bacarese perished in the fourteenth over for 27 and at the half way fifteen overs stage the Calpe total had only progressed to 62/2, the lowest total so far recorded this season at this stage of a game.
Sam Russell and Ashan Alwis got off to a flying start against some very loose bowling, hitting 35 runs in the opening three overs, at which stage Alwis gave Kabir Mirpuri a simple catch at mid on off a full toss from Vivek Sadhwani. Seven runs later Vishal Kainth struck a vital blow for his side as he induced the dangerous Russell to square cut his very first ball straight into the safe hands of Bacarese at backward point Mirpuri then bowled Joss Hatcher and Bacarese had Vikram Khatwani stumped to send the total tumbling to 63/4, but Ainsworth and Cary recovered the position somewhat with a fifth wicket stand of 38. When Ainsworth was comprehensively bowled by Bacarese in the fifteenth over, Mediterranean CC found themselves a healthy 42 runs ahead of their opponents’ total at the half-way stage but with half their side back in the stands.
Calpe CC turn the tables in the second half.
On the resumption of their innings, Hazell and Mirpuri set about the bowling in no uncertain terms, putting on 76 runs in just seven overs, before the former tried one hit too many and skied a catch to deep mid on when six short of his half century. When Iain Latin went cheaply, Vivek Sadhwani stayed with Mirpuri as a further 24 runs accrued, Mirpuri reaching his half century. At the end of the 30th. over, the Calpe total had progressed to 185/7, 123 of these having come in the second part of their innings. For Mediterranean CC Ashan Alwis was the most successful bowler, returning figures of 4/40.
And so Mediterranean CC returned to the crease, requiring 82 runs to get from their remaining fifteen overs, an asking rate of just under five and a half runs per over. Cary had been going well for them before the break but could only add two runs to his total when he skied a catch to Kainth to give Vivek Sadhwani his second scalp of the afternoon. With Chris Watkins still to come to the crease it was anyone’s game, but when Bacarese bowled Steve Martin and Vivek Sadhwani claimed his third victim, his brother Karan taking the catch to dismiss Mark Westmoreland, the total had slumped to 115/7, and much depended on Watkins, who surprisingly came in as low as number nine. Kainth then returned to the attack with immediate effect, bowling Watkins and dismissing Wahid to a fine catch by young Philip Dumas, and Mediterranean CC were all out for a disappointing 149; their last five wickets had only produced 45 runs. For Calpe CC, Kainth returned the remarkable figures of 3/12, Vivek Sadhwani took 3/37 and Bacarese 3/36. Calpe took seventeen points from the game to Mediterranean’s three.
Next week.
Another crucial Wiggins/Benrimoj clash is scheduled for next Saturday, as GCC Bwin take on Calpe CC at the Europa Oval.
-TJF
© Gibraltar Cricket Association
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