SPAIN HAVE MIXED FORTUNES IN TRIANGULAR TORNEO
The second day of the tournament the teams were greeted with showers at the Murcia resort. A 75 minute delay before the games could start resulted in the first game of the day Belgium v Gibraltar being reduced to a 15 over affair.
The game followed the same path as the previous day with Belgium running out comfortable winners. Batting first the Gibraltar side made 88 for 8 with skipper Latin again amongst the runs, this time scoring 31 of his teams total.
In reply, Belgium easily surpassed Gibraltar´s score, making 92 for 2 in just 12.1 overs. Sheikl, Newport and Mohammad all contributed telling scores to the Belgium cause.
With the sun peeking through the Spain v Gibraltar match reverted back to a twenty over a side game.Spain won the toss for the third consecutive time and elected to bat. Again the Alfas pair of Munoz and Ali strode to the crease and once more La Seleccion had a reasonably solid start, putting on 24 for the first wicket before Ali was clean bowled by Reyes playing across the line.
Morgan again joined Munoz at the crease and both players emulated yesterday´s performance, this time adding 75 to the hosts total before Munoz fell for a personal score of 45, being caught behind by wicket keeper Ferrary off the bowling of Bokhari.
Morgan went on to complete a splendid 61 before being bowled by Latin, and Shoaib Hussein cashed in with a quickfire 35 off 23 balls as the Gibraltar bowling attack began to tire after four difficult games in the field in the space of two days. Spain eventually posted a total of 191 for 6 off the 20 overs.
Gibraltar lost opener Bokhari, run out for 2, and although the next 2 batsmen Collier and Farrary reached double figures the majority of the Gibraltar players failed to fire. With the Spanish bowling attack looking a different proposition from the day before the vistors could only muster 81 all out off 15.1 overs, with skipper Latin being the only other player in Gibraltar colours to get out of single figures.
Armaghan Khan bowled a double wicket maiden in his spell, and Farhat and Christian Munoz took 2 wickets apiece as the Spaniards ran out comfortable 110 run winners. A quick lunch and then the much anticipated re-match between Spain and Belgium.
SPAIN BATTING
S Ali Bowled Reyes 3
C Munoz Ct Farrary B Bokhari 45
J Morgan B Latin
S Hussein Not Out 35
P Venus Stumped Farrary B Gomula 8
M Spencer B Gomula 4
G Crompton Ct Latin B Boumach 1
Farhat Not Out 1
Armaghan Dnb
Mohib Dnb
Talat Dnb
Extras 33
Total 191 for 6 off 20 overs
GIBRALTAR BOWLING
A Reyes 4-0-25-1
R Collier 4-0-34-0
J Bokhari 3-0-46-1
I Latin 4-0-43-1
C Gomula 3-0-20-2
Y Boumach 2-0-21-1
GIBRALTAR BATTING
R Collier Ct Wasim B Mohib 18
J Bokhari Run Out 2
K Farrary Ct Munoz B Farhat 15
C Avellano Bowled Armaghan 8
I Latin Ct Mohib B Munoz 11
A Reyes Lbw Farhat 0
Y Boumach Stumped Morgan B Munoz 8
M Powell Bowled Venus 3
C Gomula Ct Morgan B Talat 1
A Orifila Not Out 0
Extras 15
Total 81 all out off 16.1 overs
SPAIN BOWLING
Talat Ali 3.1-0-14-1
Mohib 2-0-10-1
Farhat 4-0-21-2
Armaghan 4-1-14-2
C Munoz 2-0-12-2
P Venus 2-0-7-1
Spain won by 110 runs.
The final game of the tournament was definitely the most entertaining, fluctuating one way and then the other and finally ending in a tie.Spain made it four out of four with the toss and as usual elected to bat first.
A third change in four games saw Ali this time partner Pedro Venus as the opening pair. Ali had the majority of the strike in the first two overs and took the score to 17 along with extras. Venus faced only his third ball in the 3rd over and was caught by Iqbal off the bowling of Rehman to give the Belgium´s their first wicket. The very next ball Morgan slashed at one outside off stump and was caught by Sheilk at first slip, who took an excellent diving catch. When Ali departed for a disputed leg before with the score on 31 and Shoaib soon followed 3 overs later La Seleccion were rocking at 43 for 4.
A solid and timely partnership of 74 by Armaghan Khan and Mark Spencer put the home side back in the game and a quick fire 15, by Farhat that included two massive sixes, gave Spain an eventual total of 152 for 8 off their 20 overs.
Hving chased down 153 in the game the previous day Belgium went into the interval slight favourites. Sunny Sheik was asked to do the same role for the visitors as Shafique Ali had done for Spain and he duly obliged by scoring 16 off 6 balls before falling to Talat Ali. The Spanish bowler also accounted for the other opener Muhammad for 1 but two rapid innings by Farmiloe and Ali Raza of 21 runs each put the visitors in a good position at 48 for 4 after only six overs.
Some tight and economical bowling by the local side dragged the game back Spain´s way especially as the Belgium danger man Butt went cheaply for just 1 run. Javed Iqbal and Simon Newport came together with 8 runs an over needed to reach their target and looked to be on course to achieve that until Venus had Javed caught by Iqbal with score on 107.
Four wickets remaining and 46 needed from 31 balls. Abdul Rehman entered the arena with a runner and the big hitting Belgian began to take the game away from Spain by peppering two quick sixes off the bowling of Irshad Khan in the same over. In the 18th over with the score on 144 disaster struck for Rehman when his runner failed to ground his bat attempting a second run and he was adjudged run out by the umpire.
Another good piece of fielding by the Spaniards accounted for another run out, with Godbole being the victim this time. At the other end Newport continued to play sensible cricket and acquire runs at will without scoring the decisive boundary.
Entering the last over the scores were tied on 152 for 8. Belgium needed one run from six balls with Newport on strike. The first ball saw Newport it the ball straight to Venus at short extra cover. Waqas, at the non striking end was half way down he wicket before getting sent back by the Belgian skipper, and Venus had the presence of mind to run in and whip of the bails to give Spain a little more hope.
One run still required, with one wicket intact and five balls still available. Talat came steaming in for his second ball of the over and Newport´s middle stump went cartwheeling out of the ground much to the delight of the home fans. The Spaniards celebrated the draw like a victory in view of the match situation. Their gutsy performance in the face of adversity showed the team spirit and never say die attitude that Spain have now developed under the guidance of coach Bobby Denning.
In truth, both teams had patches of brilliance and sloppiness throughout the game and a draw was a fair result. Both teams can take away lots of positives from the tournament and the Spaniards have one more complete training session together at the end of May before the squad is named for the ICC Division 2 Twenty20 tournament in Belgium this June. The final table saw Belgian finish top, Spain second and Gibraltar third.
SPAIN BATTING
S Ali Lbw Javed Iqbal 30
P Venus Ct Iqbal B Rehman 0
J Morgan Ct Sheikl B Rehman 0
Shoaib Hussein Ct Farmiloe B Rehman 4
A Khan Ct Richards B Newport 52
M Spencer Not Out 31
I Khan Bowled Newport 8
Farhat Bowled Khaliq 15
Talat Bowled Khaliq 0
C Munoz Not Out 2
Mohib Dnb
Extras 10
Total 152 for 8 off 20 overs
BELGIUM BOWLING
A Rehman 4-0-20-3
S Newport 3-0-30-2
J Iqbal 4-0-21-1
Waqas 4-0-30-0
S Butt 2-0-15-0
S Mahammad 2-0-14-0
F Khaliq 2-0-20-2
BELGIUM BATTING
S Mohammad Ct Akmal B Talat 1
S Sheikl Ct Farhat B Talat 16
J Farmiloe Ct Munoz B Mohib 21
Ali Raza Ct A Khan B Farhat 21
S Butt Ct Akmal B Talat 1
J Iqbal Ct A Khan B Venus 31
S Newport Bowled Talat 25
A Rehman Run Out 14
A Godbole Run Out 1
Waqas Run Out 1
F Fhaliq Not Out 0
Extras 19
Total 152 all out off 19.2 overs
SPAIN BOWLING
Mohib 3-0-23-0
Talat 3.2-0-18-4
Farhat 4-0-21-1
A Khan 4-1-17-0
C Munoz 2-0-24-0
I Khan 1-0-15-0
P Venus 2-0-22-1
Match tied