Sporting Alfas Cricket Club Sporting Alfas 1st X1 184 for 3 beat Newbold on Avon CC 180 for 9
Offered the option Newbold decided to bat first and SACC took to the field for the 1pm start. Bash Ali as usual opened and soon found his length but J Perman at second slip failed to hold on to a sharp chance. K Roper came down the hill and found that the going in the first eleven a little tough as his first over leaked nine runs, Bash Ali had another chance go begging as the ball flew past the three slip cordon, Roper found the going better in his second over and only two runs were taken a fine comeback from the next generation of Spanish youngsters.
Bash Ali finally made the breakthrough in the seventh over removing Tarrant´s middle stump. At the ten over mark Newbold were looking strong with forty five runs in credit and only one wicket down. Faran replaced Ali and Algar replaced Roper and the pair looked good in tandem but Evans was the only wicket to fall J Perman catching comfortably off Algar´s tenth ball. Spin twins Crompton and Dhondai then took control and the run rate, which should have increased at this vital stage, stuttered along at the same four an over rate. Crompton getting the Newbold captain Craig Scott out for forty five well deserved runs and then catching Jake Scott for thirty six, Dhondai having Meacham caught the inning was stuttering. Siddons played a few fine shots before the return of Ali (2-26) and Algar (4-33) removed the last few batsmen, Newbold on Avon ending with a below par score of 180-9.
Chasing down the target should never worry SACC batsmen and so it proved with Crompton reaching his fifty of forty three balls before chipping one to C Scott at mid on. This allowing team mate and travel companion A Algar the chance to bat, other opener J Perman reached 32 but did not read the script and followed Crompton back to the hut two balls later in exactly the same fashion.
Faran joined Algar and the pair raced away to reach one hundred and seventy when Algar pushed one to J Scott and told the watching crowd the wet ball had done for him so soft it would not reach the fence! all said in a very convincing manner, that was until the ball was seen sailing over his head into Benidorm as Faran decided to add to his fifty and reached sixty eight of what was the last three balls of the match. Pick a better excuse Adam. 184 off 23 overs and time for a beer and chat with the opposition. Faran 68 from 29 balls getting him the M.o.M. award.
Sporting Alfas CC