LEVANTE V SPORTING ALFAS (LEAGUE)

Sporting Alfas travelled up to Valencia looking to claim maximm points for their ECCL Premier League Title quest and went home with nineteen of the twenty points available to them.

Winning the toss the visitors decided to field first. The hosts made a steady start neither scoring runs or losing many wickets in the first few overs. At the first drinks interval (15 overs) Levante were 51 for 2 and it took them until the 29th over to reach three figures. A late onslaught in the last third of the innings took Levante’s score to 232 for 8.

A fine 61 by skipper Barry Eaton and a quick fire 38 by Kyle off just 15 balls was the impetus for the home sides final tally. Opening bowler Abdul took wickets at the start and finish of the Levante innings to end up with final figures of 3-44. Several catches were dropped that cost Sporting Alfas their full quota of bowling points.

In reply Alfas lost opener Pennick early and then Crompton fell to a sharp catch to Azhar at mid off when looking well set to make a big score. A third wicket partnership of 112 between Faran Afzal (106) and Adam Alger (45) swung the game firmly in the visitors favour.

Afzal got his century in just 57 balls, and hit fourteen fours and three sixes in his 106. He fell just short of the winning target, to give Levante renewed hope. A short wobble from the visitors saw several more wickets fall quickly but Mohib Husseini bating at number nine hit two consecutive fours to calm nerves.

Alfas finally overtook the Levante total with three wickets in hand in the 39th over. Alfas took 19 points from the match and Levante received 7 points.

Sporting Alfas (19 points) beat Levante (7 points) by 3 wickets.

Levante 232 for 8 (B Eaton 61) Sporting Alfas 233 for 7 (F Afzal 106, A Alger 45, M Taylor 2-22)