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Visit of Baldock CC
TJF
CRICKET.
BALDOCK CC LOSE THREE AND WIN ONE.
Baldock CC from Hertfordshire had a busy four days on the Rock, playing four matches. They lost the first three but salvaged some pride with a comprehensive win in the final game.
Friday.
Friday saw the visitors take on a GCA Selection in a twenty overs game at the Europa Oval. The locals batted first and were given a good start by Ian Farrell and Iain Latin who put on 43 runs in just over four overs before the latter was caught for 30. Steven Gonzalez did not trouble the scorers and when Farrell went for 17 the total had slumped to 59/3. Adrian Hewitt and Mark Bacarese then came to the rescue with a fourth wicket stand of 69, and when the former finally went for 24, young Kayron Stagno kept Bacarese company whilst a further 29 runs accrued. Bacarese duly retired on reaching his half century with the total reaching 167/6 at the end of the allotted overs. For Baldock, Alastair Jones and Ben Diplock took two wickets apiece.
Baldock CC made a poor start, losing their first three wickets with only 8 runs on the board, after which Goodlad and Mark Lafferty put on 31 runs. Goodlad was then caught for 16 and Paul Gentle was run out two balls later, before Lafferty and Ben Diplock took the total along to 83. However, with the overs rapidly running out there was only one result likely, Baldock CC ending on 119 all out in 19.1 overs, giving the GCA Selection victory by 48 runs. Gonzalez took 3/8 in two overs.
Saturday.
Saturday saw Baldock return to action with a forty overs match. Batting first, the local selection got off to a fine start as Ian Farrell and Richard Buzaglo put on 73 runs for the first wicket in just eleven overs. Farrell was the first to go for 38, after which Kieron Ferrary kept Buzaglo company whilst a further 67 runs were added. With the total on 140, Ferrary was caught for 29, and this brought Mark Bacarese to the crease. A partnership on 103 ensued with Buzaglo reaching his century and Bacarese his half century. Scott Chipolina contributed an undefeated 24 towards the end of the innings, which ended on 278/6. There were two wickets each for Alastair Jones, Bob Peacock and Ben Diplock.
Faced with such a daunting total, Baldock got off to a poor start, losing their first three wickets with just 56 runs on the board. Paul Gentle and Rob Cant then added 42 runs, but when Cant was stumped off the bowling of Iain Latin, only seventeen overs remained and although Gentle duly reached his half century and Nigel Gazely contributed 30, the visitors fell well short of their target, ending on 199/9 to give the locals victory by 79 runs. Iain Latin was the outstanding bowler for the GCA with figures of 5/36.
Sunday.
There was to be no rest for the visitors as they faced another GCA Selection on the Sunday in another forty overs game. They occupied the crease first this time and lost the wicket of Ben Diplock with only five runs on the board, well caught by Chris Watkins off the bowling of young Julian Freyone. Rob Cant and Bob Peacock then put on 50 runs for the second wicket before Freyone struck again having Cant caught by Farrell. The GCA selection then had to wait some time before tasting success again as Peacock and Paul Gentle put on 60 runs for the third wicket, Iain Latin finally breaking the partnership as Peacock gave Watkins his second catch of the innings; the batsman had contributed 58 runs. Gentle followed two runs later, caught and bowled by that man Watkins, after which Barry Gazely and Glen Orsman took the total past the 150 mark, and a spirited undefeated 25 from Mark Lafferty in the latter stages of the innings enabled his side to reach a total of 218/7 at the end of the allotted overs. For the GCA, Freyone returned figures of 2/69 and another youngster, Rahul Daswani 2/23.
The GCA selection lost the wicket of Rahul Daswani with 35 runs on the board, but Kieron Ferrary and Steven Gonzalez then took command, putting on 81 runs before being parted. Gonzalez was the first to go, bowled by Lafferty, and this brought Kayron Stagno to the crease. With Ferrary duly reaching his century and retiring, Stagno set about the bowling in merciless fashion, striking his first ever half century off just 30 balls and ending on 60 off 37. He fell towards the end but by then victory was assured, the final total being 219/3 off 27.4 overs.
Monday – the final act.
The Baldock players were again at the Europa Oval for the fourth successive day on Monday to play another twenty overs game, and this time they were destined to go home happy! They won the toss, put the GCA selection in to bat and soon had them in trouble with three cheap wickets. Ross Harkins retrieved the situation somewhat with a whirlwind 51, scored off only 24 balls, Steve Cary was more sedate but managed to remain undefeated until the end just four short of his half century, and Ian Farrell contributed a useful 34 coming in at number eight to enable the locals to reach a total of 172/8. For the visitors, Ben Diplock was again amongst the wickets, returning figures of 3/14 off his four overs.
Baldock lost the wicket of Ben Diplock with the total on 32 but that was to be the GCA XI’s last success as Nigel Gazely and Mark Lafferty both hit half centuries, and Barry Gazely hit an undefeated 25 to bring home victory with two overs to spare.
Start of the domestic season.
A new domestic season is now just round the corner. On Friday the 9th. May, a special twenty overs match has been arranged at the Europa Oval as a Memorial to the late Eleazar Benrimoj (Benny) who sadly passed away just before Christmas. A life-long supporter of local cricket and particularly of his one and only Club, GCC., Benny’s sharp wit and multitude of comments will be sadly missed by the local cricketing fraternity. A Memorial plaque in his name will be unveiled before this match between over 35 and under 35 selections. All former cricketers who knew Benny well are invited to attend.
The two days following, Saturday the 10th. and Sunday 11th. May see the start of the Wiggins/Benrimoj Shield, with GCC taking on Mediterranean CC on the Saturday and Calpe CC facing Combined Colleges on the Sunday. The increasingly popular twenty overs mid-week league gets under way on Tuesday, 13th. May, Commanders facing Hassans on that day. There will follow matches on every week-day after that.
TJF.
© Gibraltar Cricket Association
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