INTELLECTUALS EXACT REVENGE ON LEVANTE

Courtesy of Levante CC

Intellectuals of Alicante CC exacted revenge on Levante CC a week after they were well beaten at home. This time though, the VCG played host to its first ever league game and an Alicante side that consisted of 5 or 6 different players from the week before.

Things looked so very different early on as Levante CC, led by the brilliance of Pilkington (5-20) had the visitors in big trouble at 25-5. Pilkington had taken four of the first five wickets to fall and was ably supported by Kar (1-33) on debut. Faulkner (47no) played a very straight and watchful innings and led the fightback well. He found good support down the order with Jaider (24), Wasley (16) and Cormack (30) all contributing to set what was a decent total in the soaring temperatures (165-8d).

For Levante, the bowlers did a remarkable job in the heat and deserved better from their fielders as at least four chances went down. Pilkington was the standout performer but Tickel and Kar performed admirably on debut. The only negative from the bowling point of view was another 16 wides.

After a quick ten minute turnaround, the Levante batsmen came up against an Intellectual bowling attack that was considerably better than the one they faced the previous week. Noon (4) nicked the third ball of the day and Hunt (3) soon followed, bowled by one that kept low. Tivey (24) offered some resistance and he and Morgan (17) looked like getting LCC back in the game before the latter was adjudged to have edged behind. That left Levante in trouble at 35/3 and their top three all out.

Hussain (5) soon followed them in the hut and it was left to Ogilvie (15) and Tivey to start the counter attack. They both scored quickly but went in quick succession going for big shots, leaving LCC on 81/6 and staring down the barrel. It wasn’t quite finished though, as Graham (40) and Pilkington (9) took the score on to 119 before Pilkington was bowled by one that seamed.

Graham was the last batsman standing but his brilliant performance was undone in the luckiest of ways. His strongly hit drive hit the man at short mid-off and fell kindly into the hands of the bowler. Not only did it stop a certain boundary but ended any chance Levante had of winning the game. The tail fell soon after and LCC had fallen to a sorry defeat.

Credit to the Intellectuals who deserved the win after being 25-5 early on. For Levante it’s back to the training ground for their top order as their performance simply wasn’t good enough. We now face a must win game against Alfas on Saturday.

Man of the match goes to Pilkington for a marvellous 5-20 off 10 overs whilst special mentions too to the other bowlers and Richard Graham for a great knock.