COMBINED COLLEGES CC v MIJAS COSTA CC
Combined Colleges CC have been playing cricket in Andalucia for 25 years and in all that time will have seen few better days for their sport. Early light grey clouds and dew soon gave way to clear skies and dry grass in the outfield. With temperatures in the low twenties this was a perfect English summer’s cricketing day. Not bad for the middle of November!
Electing to bat first, Combined Colleges were severely strangled early on by young club Mijas Costa CC. After four overs Combined Colleges were 13 for 2. Mijas Costa kept up the pressure and after 16 overs CCCC were on a measly 65 for 2, due in no small measure to Kevin’s spell of 7 overs, 1 for 21. But the tide was turning.
Previn Menon and Mark Ward stayed together for another five overs before Mark was caught. In came Brian Barrett and he and Previn set about increasing the run rate and plundered 120 runs off the next 12 overs. Previn seemed invincible. Then he hit the ball high over Matt Bush at long off only to see Matt, back pedalling as fast as he could go, which in all honesty isn’t at warp speed, raise his right arm high behind his head and bring it down again with the ball miraculously, impossibly, clutched in his hand. Even Previn might have applauded had he not been on 97, tantalisingly three short of a maiden century. Despite two more superb catches by MCCC, CCCC went on to finish on 257 for 5.
Mijas Costa started their innings well, scoring faster than CCCC despite losing Matt in the sixth over. Then CCCC brought on their secret weapon as first change bowler. Coming out of retirement after more years than he may care to think about, Andy Inman took two wickets in his first over and went on to end his spell with figures of 6 overs, 5 wickets for 47. And that, essentially, is the story of MCCC’s innings. Undone by a remarkable spell of bowling.
A last wicket partnership of 35 took MCCC to 137 all out. And if that sounds like a rout – well it wasn’t really. It was just that on the day two batsmen could do no wrong and one bowler came good against the odds.
No man of the match this week. Excellent catches, so nearly a ton and a couple of fine bowling performances meant that the honours were shared around – cricket was the winner here.
Next week, Sunday 20th November Mijas Costa CC v Costa del Sol A