ALFAS FIRST XI CONTINUE WINNING STREAK

Sporting Alfas Cricket Club Sporting Alfas 1st X1 v Milan C.C on Sat 22 Mar 2008 at 12.30
Sporting Alfas Cricket Club Won by 4 wickets

Milan CC 228-8 (40 overs)
SACC 1st XI 229-6 (36 overs)

On an afternoon that started brightly, but clouded over to reduce
visibility significantly during the final overs, the visitors won the
toss and elected to bat. Krisna and Dawson flourished initially
against the pace of Lupson and Muñoz before falling in consecutive
overs to the left-arm orthodox spin of Wasim (2 for 31 off 8), but
only after having posting an extremely useful opening partnership of 125 off
19 overs. Wasim was ably supported from the bottom end by his
right-arm spin-twin, Mudasser, who put in another good spell to end
with the fine figures of 3 for 29 off 8. Ross-Gower Senior ended up
not out on 31 and there were also useful contributions from Vikram
(18) and Lawrence (15) as the visitors posted a very respectable total
of 228-8 at the end of their allotted 40 overs. Perrins chipped in
with a couple of cheap wickets at the end to finish with 2 for 10 off
2 and there was also an encouraging spell from fellow 1st XI debutant,
Aslan, who did not take a wicket, but bowled tidily, conceding just 12
runs from his three overs with the run-chase very much on.

In reply, Shafique Ali and Pennick got the innings off to its habitual
fine start, smashing 79 off the first 12 overs before the Spain
glove-man was pouched in the deep off Vikram for 58. Pennick and Wasim
added 46 for the second wicket before the Chairman was caught plum in
front off Kumar for a well-crafted 44 in the 21st over with 125 on the
board. In the failing light and with no apparent need for the rest of
the middle order to get padded up, Howe (52) and Wasim (55) seemed to
have everything in control having steered the total to 207 with eight
overs still remaining. However, Wasim’s well-intentioned though
ultimately unwise decision to retire having reached his fifty led to a
degree of panic within the home ranks as a flurry of quick wickets
tumbled. Notwithstanding, Muñoz and Perrins each scored a single to
clinch the victory in the gathering gloom with four overs still
remaining and the same number of wickets in hand. Another fine display
behind the stumps from young Glenn Coppack and credit also goes to
young Jack Ross-Gower, who bowled a beguiling late spell of loopy
leg-spin to end with 2 for 18 off 3.