ANDREW BOND TROPHY
The cricketer that brought the game to the Costa Blanca was remembered last Saturday with the playing of the Andrew Bond Memorial match. It was in July 1992 that Andrew Bond travelled to Malaga, which at that time was where most of the cricket in Spain was being played. Having found out how cricket had become established in that area, he returned to his home in Javea and immediately formed Javea Cricket Club.
Subsequently Andrew became a member of the Spanish Cricket Association’s Executive Council and played for the Spanish National team. In 1995 he was one of the Founders of Sporting Alfas Cricket Club, for which he played until his unexpected death on July 28th 1997 at the young age of 60. The Spanish Cricket Association considered that in recognition of his contribution to Spanish cricket it would be appropriate for a match between local cricketers to take place on an annual basis
Andrew whilst in the UK played for amongst other clubs, Alderley Edge CC in Cheshire, Milnrow in the Central Lancashire League and MCC.He was an excellent wicketkeeper and an aggressive middle order left handed batsman.
ALFAS REPORT-SATURDAY
SPORTING ALFAS
10 November Sporting Alfas C.C. 330-4 Ibiza C.C. 153
Ibiza C.C. failed in its attempt to win the Andrew Bond Ibiza C.C. Memorial Trophy for the first time, when Sporting Alfas dominated the Saturday match.
Batting first, Alfas was given a tremendous start by its opening pair of Pennick and Ali, who put the Ibiza bowling to the sword as they featured in an opening stand of 203. The scoring rate was such that the stand was compiled in just twenty-two overs, before Ali was dismissed for eighty. Pennick completed his second century of the season, before retiring, and with Climent scoring an undefeated half-century and the remaining batsmen all making quick contributions, Alfas posted its second highest score of the season.
When Ibiza replied, the game was effectively over within the first ten overs as Lupson and Muñoz each claimed two wickets to leave Ibiza reeling at 12-4. After the Alfas captained relaxed the pressure, useful contributions were made for Ibiza by Cooper (37), Harvey (34), Browne (24) and Makepeace (23). However, there was never any chance that Ibiza would threaten the Alfas total and the home side eventually ran out winners by 177 runs. For Alfas, Lupson (2-7) and Muñoz (2-13) returned the best bowling figures, whilst Hickie and W. Ul-Rehman also each claimed two wickets.
PHIL PENNICK
IBIZA REPORT-SATURDAY
Our weekend trip to play Sporting Alfas was an up and down affair. Saturday’s match against the first XI Spanish champions was always going to be diffiult but with them scoring 320 of 40 overs and us being 12 for 4 off 7 overs it could have been a complete disaster.
However, our middle order, namely Stu Browne, Martin Cooper, Jim Harvey, and yours truely managed to get some valuable time in the middle and contributed significantly to take the score to the 160 mark so instead of spiralling into depression we took some positives out of the game.
Eventually losing by 150 odd runs was no disgrace against an excellent side, and I, somewhat strangely, came away from the game feeling quite satisfied.
MARTIN MAKEPEACE