TORREVIEJA V SPORTING ALFAS II (LEAGUE)

Sporting Alfas made the short trip to Torrevieja today and came back to the Woodbridge Oval with maximum league points.

The one sided affair started from the first ball when the visitors won the toss and decided to put the hosts into bat.

Torrevieja lost Gulchard early then rallied a little as Muller and Powell put on 45 for the second wicket. However, the middle order failed to click as five Torrevieja players got ducks and the home side were eventually bowled out in the 24th over for just 104. For Alfas Kieran Perman took six wickets for the cost of 34 runs in his five over spell.

Perman senior went quickly when the Alfas run chase started to take shape. Fellow opener Jack Perman stayed solid and ended the day 80 not out for the Visitors. Alfas did lose two more scalps but claimed their seven wicket victory and maximum points in the 15th over. Torrevieja had to be content with just three points from the contest.

Alfas II 108 for 3 beat Torrevieja 104 all out by 7 wickets

Report on the game by Sporting Alfas 

Sporting Alfas Cricket Club Sporting Alfas 2nd X1 108 for 3 beat Torrevieja 104 all out 

The Alfas 2nds League campaign got underway with a tricky Banana Skin of a tie in Torrevieja. Constant withdrawals and last minute selection issues made it 11 just in time for the match and Alfas set off.

On arrival at Torrevieja, the pitch had not arrived so Alfas warmed up as the Captain undertook the toss with the Torre Vice Captain, Torre’s captain being delayed on the day as well as the pitch! Torre in the end could only field 10 but with a lot of youth on show, a team will grow together here for years.

Winning the toss, Alfas inserted Torre and Vice Captain Guichard went out with Powell to open the match. Abdul keeping things tight at his end while Waqar “entertained” at the other – Wides, Boundaries and a Wicket, oh my! The breakthrough was made in the 8th Over as Waqer got Guichard to pop one up and nearly over the covers but K. Roper was alert to the chance and took a good catch. 31/1

Muller was next in and with Powell was able to see off the opening pair while striking some lusty blows, getting off the mark with a 6 followed by a 4, straight away. First change bowler, K. Perman was on the receiving end badly in his first over, going for 16! Alfas were wondering if there was a way around this mighty batsman. Luckily, Perman came back after a beating and got a wicket at the end of his 2nd over, Powell getting clean bowled as Perman started to find his radar. 66/2.

Harvey joined Muller at the crease and was nearly the next to go as, edging one onto his pads, the bowler got carried away and carried the Umpire along with him and got the decision. However, the Alfas fielders had seen, heard cursed the edge and quickly withdrew the appeal and Harvey contined. 3 overs later though and K. Perman had his revenge on Muller and ripped out the middle order of the Torre team, picking up a 3 wicket maiden, Torre slipping from 87/2 to 87/5.

The same man was at it again in his next over, getting another 2 wickets to bring Torre down to 99/7. Next over, Jack, finally fed up with his brother getting all the wickets, eventually got his man Harvey, a sharp catch from old Alfas favourite Muddy, finishing off a nice Maiden over and then the same bowler got the final wicket next over, clean bowling McDowell to close off the innings. Torre finished on 104 but Alfas knew, from painful experience, the match was far from over.

How true those fears seemed temporarily as Skipper Perman was clean bowled in the first over after only 3 deliveries. However, nobody had told Muddy to be wary of the pitch and after 8 fine dot balls to have a look, he got off the mark well with a lofty 6!

J. Perman was going well at the other end before launching a ball into Orbit that came down in the swirling wind just beyond a disparing fielder to give him his first life. In the 8th over, he contined his charmed life, launching another high into the Blue Sky but K. Wood could just not gather the ball and the chance, with Perman on 27, went begging. It was the wake up call he needed to help guide the team home with a well struck 80*.

He was to see two more partners on his way there though, Muddy, after nearly 1 hour at the crease and 13 Overs, took his eye off the ball at the worst time and departed for 21, giving McDowell an easy catch off Court’s bowling and Waqer could not repeat his fine innings here from last year as he fell for a 5 ball duck before the winning runs were hit and the tricky trip was over.

Alfas look forward to welcoming Torre to the Woodbridge Oval for the return match in June and look forward to renewing battle with old foes Madrid in 2 weeks time at La Manga. 

ECCL DIVISION TWO – ONE DAY LEAGUE