Despite restricting La Manga to a draw on Sunday Madrid fell out of the Division Two title race as a result of losing to Intellectuals the day before. Levante now need two comprehensive wins in their last two games to snatch the spoils from La Manga.
Madrid are left to reflect on a poor performance on Saturday that has cost them dear. Intellectuals batted first and posted 202 for 8 with Champion and Alistar Faulkner starring for the Alicante based side.
Florence Broderick was the pick of the Madrid bowlers as she returned to the pavillion with figures of two for 17 of four overs.
The Madrid starlet also top scored with the bat with a final score of 41 but it was not enough to give victory to her side as Faulkner and Champion also proved their worth as all rounders to pick up three wickets a piece for the home team.
The Intellectuals ended up winners by 49 runs.
The eagerly anticipated game between Madrid and La Manga did not disappoint. La Manga needed maximum points to gave them breathing space from Levante whilst Madrid needed a victory to keep their slender title hopes alive. La Manga batted first and posted a daunting 277 for 8 with Gopi Singh and Tom Vine shining with the bat.
Madrid found the runs a bridge too far but they did manage to grind out a draw as the final wicket partnership of David Stirton and young Liam Clark valiantly saw out the last two overs to give the team from the capital a well deserved draw.
The two games between Levante and Madrid in Valencia at the end of the month now take on added significance as either Levante or La Manga can now be realistically be crowned champions
(Liam Clark with Madrid president Jon Woodward after helping save the game against La Manga)
Liga de Cricket del Este y del Centro, Segunda Division (ECCL 2)
| P | W | D | NR | L | BP | Pts | |
| LA MANGA II | 10 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 96 | 155 |
| SPORTING ALFAS II | 10 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 78 | 133 |
| LEVANTE | 8 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 68 | 121 |
| MADRID II | 8 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 70 | 105 |
| TORREVIEJA | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 40 | 50 |
| INTELLECTUALS | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 28 |
Sat 27th April Sporting Alfas (13 points) drew with Levante CC (12 points)
SACC 214 for 9 (B Fletcher 65, K Laundon 34, J Braithwaite 32, Hussain 2-33, D Tivey 2-55) Levante 166 for 8 (S Burchill 67)
Sun 5th May La Manga (18 points) beat Sporting Alfas (7 points) by 50 runs
La Manga 183 all out (K Buckley 32) Sporting Alfas 133 all out (J Amir 35, H Phull 4-35)
Sat 11th May Madrid (18 points) beat Torrevieja (5 points) by 3 wickets
Torrevieja 100 all out (M Talbot 36, L Blann 33, M Fernandez 4-7) Madrid 102 for 7 (K Shezut 39, K Wood 3-26)
Sun 12th May Madrid (10 points) drew with Sporting Alfas (11 points)
Madrid 244 for 9 (M Fernandez 108, W Ashraf 4-76) Sporting Alfas 103 for 2 (G Evans 39 not out)
Sun 19th May La Manga (20 points) beat Intellectuals (5 points) by 184 runs
La Manga 286 for 6 (G Singh 128, V Singh 57, P Davis 41 not out) Intellectuals 102 all out (Matt Copperwheat 5-8)
June 3rd Levante (20 points) beat Intellectuals (2 points) by 9 wickets
Intellectuals 101 all out (A Faulkner 26, Samy 26, A Cormack 23, S Burchill 5-25) Levante 104 for 1 (T Little 40 not out, G Hunt 35 not out)
June 3rd Sporting Alfas (20 points) beat Torrevieja (2 points) by 9 wickets
Torrevieja 131 all out (J Webster 33, J Braithwaite 2-12) Sporting Alfas 134 for 1 (J Amir 104 not out)
June 9th Intellectuals (18 points) beat Levante (6 points) by 24 runs
Intellectuals 165 for 8 (A Faulkner 47 not out A Pilkington 5-20) Levante 141 all out (R Graham 40, Hashim 6-25)
June 9th La Manga (16 points) beat Torrevieja (6 points) by 36 runs
La Manga 98 all out (D Scott 4-18) Torrevieja 62 all out (H Phull 4-10)
June 15th Levante (20 points) beat Sporting Alfas (7 points) by 94 runs
Levante 250 for 9 (G Hunt 48, T Little 42, M Perman 3-49) Sporting Alfas 156 all out (Tyler Brown 50, A Brown 36, R Hoy 4-37)
June 22cd Madrid (19 points) beat Torrevieja (6 points) by 148 runs
Madrid 247 all out (D Stirton 52, J Bancroft 40, J Woodward 39) Torrevieja 69 all out (J Bancroft 4-7)
June 23rd Madrid 14 points drew with Sporting Alfas 12 points
Madrid 251 for 9 (Raghav 101, S Awan 43) Sporting Alfas 156 for 8 (B Marriner 36, J Bancroft 3-11)
June 23rd La Manga 10 points drew with Intellectuals 11 points
Intellectuals 291 for 4 (Halsam 143 not out) La Manga 153 for 2 (G Singh 70 not out)
June 29th Levante (20 points) beat Torrevieja (1 point) by 9 wickets
Torreviaja 72 all out (D Tivey 3-4) Levante 73 for 1 (G Hunt 38 not out, M Green 30 not out)
June 30th La Manga (19 points) beat Levante (4 points) by 129 runs
La Manga 202 for 7 (G Singh 53, Vikash Singh 49 D Tivey 3-70) Levante 73 all out (M Copperwheat 4-14)
July 6th Madrid (20 points) Intellectuals (Minus 20 points)
Intellectuals unable to field a side, game classified as No result and the points awarded in accordance to ECCL Rules)
July 6th Sporting Alfas (17 points) beat Torrevieja (4 points) by 4 wickets
Torrevieja 72 all out (J Braithwaite 3-5) Sporting Alfas (81 for 6 N McKinstry 19, G Evans 16 not out)
July 7th La Manga (18 points) beat Madrid (4 points) by 6 wickets
Madrid 131 all out (G Wambeek 3-16) La Manga 132 for 4 (V Singh 44, K Buckley 31)
July 7th Torrevieja (18 points)beat Intellectuals (4 points)by 5 wickets
Intellectuals 96 for 9 (L Brown 8-7) Torrevieja 97 for 5 (L Blann 21 not out, K Wood 21)
July 21st Levante (19 points) beat La Manga (2 points) by 7 wickets
La Manga 76 all out (R Hoy 6-21) Levante 77 for 3 (M Green 24)
July 21st Sporting Alfas (18 points) beat Intellectuals (8 points) by 2 wickets
Intellectuals 202 for 7 (J Braithwaite 2-14) Sporting Alfas 203 for 8 (B Mariner 57, G Evans 48 not out)
July 28th La Manga (19 points) beat Sporting Alfas (7 points) by 3 wickets
Sporting Alfas 207 all out (J Braithwaite 58, Vikash Rawal 3-21) La Manga 208 for 7 (Vikash Rawal 119 not out, J Roper 3-44)
August 5th Sporting Alfas (20 points) beat Intellectuals (1 point) by 9 wickets
Intellectuals 75 all out (T Ahmed 40, K Laundon 3-3), Sporting Alfas 79 for 1 (B Marriner 34 not out)
Sept 1st Levante (20 points) beat Torrevieja (6 points) by 92 runs
Levante 250 for 6 (C Matthews 74, R Morgan 70) Torrevieja 158 all out (L Blann 88, D Tickel 2-14)
Sept 8th La Manga (19 points) beat Torrevieja (3 points) by 173 runs
La Manga 228 for 5 (V Singh 111) Torrevieja 55 all out (H Phull 4 for 3, M Copperwheat 3 for 10)
Sept 14th Intellectuals (19 points) beat Madrid II (8 points) by 49 runs
Intellectuals 202 for 8 (M Champion 75, A Faulkner 51, Florence Broderick 2-17) Madrid 153 all out (Florence Broderick 41. M Champion 3-22)
Sept 15th La Manga (14 points) drew with Madrid (12 points)
La Manga 277 for 8 (G Singh 93, T Vine 64 Not Out, I Bink 4-60) Madrid 213 for 9 (I Bink 50, G Wambeek 4-44)