Under fifteens in La Manga


	Cricket Gibraltar Official site of the Gibraltar Cricket Association

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TJF

Under Fifteens on a learning curve.

Gibraltar’s very young under fifteen squad [which included three thirteen year-olds and six fourteen year-olds] have just returned from La Manga after an eight day tournament involving ten countries. Although results did not go their way until the final match, the experience gained will prove invaluable for the future and it was evident, as the tournament progressed, how the boys’ performances improved. Former Youth Development Officer, David Young, joined the party as coach, and worked hard with the squad.

What might have been.

Gibraltar’s programme opened with matches against Spain [all English expatriates] and Cyprus [almost exclusively dependent on British forces children], and lost two matches which they should really have won. In the first of these encounters, Spain batted first and were dismissed for 120 in 33.1 overs, Scott Chipolina taking 4/13 and Joss Hatcher 2/23. This should have been a total well within the capabilities of the Gibraltar boys but batting failures from their two more experienced batsmen, Chipolina and Hatcher, left them with an uphill struggle and in the end they fell 27 runs short of their target.

Gibraltar’s batsmen did considerably better in their second match, totalling 172/8 against Cyprus with Chipolina (48) and Hatcher (24) leading the way. Unfortunately, the bowlers could not match the batsmen’s performances and Cyprus overtook this total with ten balls to spare; this was Cyprus’ first ever international victory.

The third match in three days saw the Gibraltar boys confront a strong Guernsey side who were eventually to emerge as winners of the tournament. Although only totalling 71 in their innings, Gibraltar managed to survive all but one ball of the 35 allotted overs. Guernsey had little difficulty in overhauling this modest total for the loss of one wicket.

After a much-needed rest day, the boys were back once again in action against Belgium in a match which would decide the final permutations for ranking places. Belgium batted first and at one stage were tottering on 78/5. However, some spirited resistance from their middle order enabled them to reach 149/6 in the allotted overs. Gibraltar, too, made a poor start to their innings with half the side out and only 50 runs on the board. However, Chipolina was batting well and duly reached his half century and the result was very much in the balance until the final over, Gibraltar eventually falling eight runs short of their target. Chipolina was last man out for 69 in a match marred by some dubious umpiring decisions.

The final act.

So Gibraltar were committed to play for 9th./10th. place, the opposition this time being France. Yet again, Chipolina proved to be the mainstay of the batting with 34 runs, whilst Philip Dumas contributed a bright 26 in a final total of 157/5. This proved too much for the French side who were dismissed for 68, Guy Dumas returning figures of 3/13, Matthew Hunter 2/3 and Joss Hatcher 2/25.

As expected, Jersey and Guernsey contested the final which was won by the latter.

Local umpires honoured.

Local umpires, Bob Lomax and Sunil Chandiramani, were at La Manga as official ECC officials, the latter being given the task of standing at the final.