CATALAN CRICKET ON TOP
Cricket Club Catalunya has become the best cricket team in Spain after winning the Spanish league championship for the second consecutive year. The champions of 2010 retained the title in 2011 as well. The Catalan club won the Catalan cricket League Cricket 2011, which involved 19 teams and a week after the title of Spanish League Champion 2011, with a total of 46 teams in all of Spain.
Catalunya Cricket Club led by Mr. Robert Masih Nahar, proclaimed the Spainish league Championship 2011 beating Sporting Alfas Cricket Club in the final of the Spanish league played at Alfas del Pi, Benidorm on October 22, 2011. Sporting Alfas, the representing team for the rest of Spain, lost the final to Catalunya CC by 104 runs.
Catalunya CC scored 308 runs in 45 overs, batting first. The Southern team suffered in chasing the big total and Sporting Alfas were all out in 40thover on 204 runs. Gary Crompton of Sporting Alfas played some nice shots and gave a little hope to Alfas, but soon when he was back to the pavelion the rest of the Sporting Alfas players were strugling against Catalan bowlers. Asif Zia Mughal, was declared man of the match for his brilliant inning of 148 runs.
Catalunya Cricket Club, the Barcelonese club from the area of Hostrafrancs, began their journey as a cricket club in 2007. In 2008 the club was legally constituted and registered in the Catalan Council of Sports. Since its foundation the Catalunya Cricket Club has participated in several tournaments, cricket series and has played several friendly matches with some of the best clubs in Europe with very good results.
Earlier this year the Cricket Club Catalunya practices were stopped because of the lack of the practice space. Despite the difficulties of not having the necessary practice facilities for playing cricket in Catalonia, Catalunya CC players overcame these obstacles with enthusiasm and with the vision towards the future. A future, closer and closer, in which the Catalunya Cricket Association has placed its hopes for the first ever Catalan cricket ground.
A job done! Not easy, but thanks to the efforts of the Catalan team who achieved these excellent results, showing their high performance nationally and internationally.
Marta Marzal
Report from Sporting Alfas on the final ..
SPORTING ALFAS LOSE TO CATALUYNA IN LEAGUE FINAL
Barcalona league winners Catalunya traveled to Albir and proved worthy title holders as a lack lustre performance from Sporting Alfas CC in the field allowed them to amass 308 from 45 overs. Faisal(62) and Asit(148) doing most of the damage.
SACC started the game with 10 men which is always going to make the game tough. Laundon removed Armaghan 4th ball which gave SACC the start they wanted but 50 game up in the 9 over and 100 after 17.
Faisal fell in the 19th over on 62. Asif carried on although wickets fell regularly Asit just kept on hitting the boundaries. No Other player scored 20 but the total set was 308.
SACC openers had a torrid time against the new ball attack of Armaghan and Khashif although neither got a wicket in the first 10 overs.
Khurran replaced Armaghan but it was not until first ball after drinks that Pennick(17) played around one. 52 – 1. Nadeem only lasted 5 balls for 1 and then Spencer went on 31 followed by Munoz on 11, a mini collapse upset the run chase.
Crompton and Wasim looked to be in control until Wasim fell on 37 with the score on 167. Fletcher reached a fast 14 but unsportsmanlike was run out after taking a very nasty blow, which left him rolling out his ground. this should have been overturned but was not.
With only 10 overs left and 150 required the rest of the batting line up did not give any resistance, Crompton although trying to win the match single handed fell on 71.
As always win or lose the crowd enjoyed a festival of cricket in the great surrounding that SACC call home, the Woodbridge Oval a great place to watch play enjoy Cricket.
Next Sunday is the Alicante Cup Sporting Alfas CC 2nd X1 play the Intellectuals CC starting at 12-30.
Kevin Laundon Sporting Alfas