Madrid and Sporting alfas first elevens battled it out at the Madrid polo club last weekend and it was the team from Albir that came away with the spoils.
Madrid batted first and scored 164 all out. Kala top scored for Madrid,batting at four he fell two runs shy of his half century. Ahmed and Mohib Husseini took three wickets each for the visitors,
In response Alfas paced their innings well and came home comfortable winners. Christian Munoz was the stsar for Alfas hitting 61 not out, whilst Adam Algar contributed with a fine 34.
The six wicket victory gave Alfas maximum points whilst Madrid took just four points from the confrontation.
Sporting Alfas 165 for 4 beat Madrid 164 all out by 6 wickets.
Report by Madrid CC on the game…
Alfas delivered a commanding performance in their first visit to the Haras Polo Club, as they overcame Madrid by a 6 wicket margin at the weekend. Skipper Muñoz was the main contributor, turning in an all-round display with 2-19 from his 6 overs, which was shortly followed by a brisk 61 not out, to take his side home comfortably.
After, a long weekend in difficult circumstances on the south coast for Madrid last time out, Richard Wilson was just happy to have 11 players on the park for the arrival of Alfas. Jon Woodward kept his place in the side after a late fitness test on Sunday morning, after almost having his finger amputated in La Manga, following an injury he sustained against Pinatar. Iain Griffiths was also in side despite his bowling being deposited into a nearby solar system, towards the end of the Valencia game.
Wilson promised to win the toss and start the game on the front foot. Subsequently, Wilson lost the toss and Madrid were told to go and bat first on a scorching morning at the Polo Club. After Wilson’s adverse reaction to weather exceeding 20 degrees a few weeks previously, local ambulance services were put on standby as Alfas took to the field.
The ICC had allocated umpires Stirton and Perumalsamy and they were quickly called into action as Brook snaffled a great one handed catch down the leg side, adjudged to have come off Sonu Sagar Daniel’s bat, much to his disappointment. Iain Griffiths fresh from a 50 against Pinatar, was in at 3, but the scoreboard didn’t really move on much apart from Joe Healey who beat the infield with a succession of cuts and off drives for 2’s and 3’s respectively. Madrid weren’t really going anyway, but neither was the wickets tally. A 3 wicket burst from Perman and Hussain removing Griffiths (2), Healey (19) and Woodward (1) soon turned the screw though with Madrid at 30-4 with Apul Kala and Richard Wilson now together. Hussain’s early spell of 3-22 really set the tone. 3 wickets for little cost had put the away team in the ascendancy.
Drinks came and went and a 70 run partnership characteristic by a 28 run over from the bat of Apul Kala brought Madrid back into contention at 100-4. Kala and Wilson had shifted momentum with Kala particularly clearly the ropes on a number of occasions. But it was the captain Muñoz who would change the course of the innings collecting the wickets of both Kala (48) and Wilson (20), both falling to catches behind by Brook. In truth, Madrid would never recover from this as they stuttered and stumbled to 164 all out in 40.2 overs as Ahmed snatched 3 late wickets for 12 runs. Sunil Balani offered some resistance to the Alfas express getting himself to 15.
164 wasn’t nearly enough for the home side. A miraculous bowling performance was required to save the day and get their third win of the campaign.
Madrid got some early hope though as Ted Miller, back from his spell at the King’s XI Punjab got a double breakthrough early on. The South African speed merchant trapped Laundon lbw, had Brook caught at mid-on to throw something smaller than a cat amongst the pigeons. The sizzling conditions meant that it was difficult for any bowler to bowl a spell much longer than 4 overs, so Madrid were chopping and changing in search of wickets and to keep the bowlers fresh.
Pennick’s introduction at the wicket moved Alfas’s scoreboard along. A series of powerful off drivers helped him through to 32 in what seemed no time at all, before a nonchalant one handed grab from Ted Miller sent him packing. Flo Broderick was the bowler as she got her only wicket of the game to give the home side a slither of hope. The slither soon evaporated though due to the batsmanship of Muñoz who slayed the Madrid bowlers around the ground, racing through to 61* to take home Alfas with overs to spare. As the Madrid attack toiled away, Muñoz was ably supported by Alger with a responsible 34. There was still time for Ted Miller to get his third wicket and keep his name involved in every dismissal, as he uprooted Alger’s stumps with the finishing line in sight. Miller who previously has been likened to South African All Rounder Lance Klusener, ended with respectable figures of 3-37 and one ridiculously relaxed catch. Alfas got home by 6 wickets, despite the fight shown by the home side.
Madrid’s next game will be an away trip to Alfas. The supporters coach leaves at 7am on Saturday the 2nd of July and tickets are priced at 10 Euros per person.
