The game between Spain and Malta in Mechelen was very one-sided, as the Maltese could manage only 30 in 9.4 overs in response to Spain’s total of 215 for eight.
(Exchange of gifts between the captains of Spain and Malta)
Top-scorer for Spain was opener Shafique Ali with 72 from just 39 balls, including nine fours and four sixes. He and his opening partner Sajad Ali (21) put on 60 for the first wicket, and then skipper James Morgan helped add another 51 for the second.
(Sajad and Shafique Ali opening for Spain v Malta)
The real fireworks, however, came towards the end, as Mark Spencer smashed 46 from 15 deliveries, including five sixes, before he was forced to retire hurt. Ronnie Sacco with three for 24 and captain Andrew Lenard with two for 42 were the main wicket-takers.
(Another Spanish boundary by Mark Spencer)
Malta lost two wickets in the first over and swiftly collapsed to 8 for five and 15 for eight before the last two partnerships doubled the total.
(Mohib Hussein for Spain v Malta)
Talat Ali took five for 13 for Spain, and Tanvir Iqbal three for two.
(Talat Ali in action – match figures 5 for 13 off 4 overs)
Malta (0) lost to Spain (2) by 185 runs. Mechelen, 21 June.
Malta Vs Spain
| Round | 3 |
| Toss won by | Spain |
| Umpires | B Lougheed (Luxembourg) and WA McPate (Scotland) |
| Scorers | J Howden and P Naudi |
| Comment | Group B |
| Batsman | Fieldsman | Bowler | Runs | Bls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shafique Ali | c MTC Caruana | b AM Naudi | 72 | 39 | 9 | 4 |
| Sajad Ali | c RRP Sacco | b N Khosla | 21 | 14 | 2 | 1 |
| J Morgan*+ | c AJP Lenard | b RRP Sacco | 15 | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| G Crompton | st J Grima | b RRP Sacco | 23 | 16 | 2 | 1 |
| Tanvir Iqbal | b B Dhandapani | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Farhat Mahmood | c MTC Caruana | b RRP Sacco | 14 | 7 | 0 | 2 |
| M Spencer | Retired Not Out | 46 | 15 | 2 | 5 | |
| C Munoz-Mills | c AM Naudi | b AJP Lenard | 12 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| Armaghan Khan | c AM Naudi | b AJP Lenard | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Talat Ali | not out | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Mohib Hussein | dnb | – | ||||
| extras | (b1 lb2 w8 nb0) | 11 | ||||
| TOTAL | 8 wickets for | 215 |
| FOW |
|---|
| 1-60(Sajad Ali) 2-111(Shafique Ali) 3-120(J Morgan) 4-121(Tanvir Iqbal) |
| 5-137(Farhat Mahmood) 6-158(G Crompton) 7-206(C Munoz-Mills) 8-215(Armaghan Khan) |
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | wd | nb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MTC Caruana | 4 | 0 | 46 | 0 | 1 | – |
| RRP Sacco | 4 | 0 | 24 | 3 | 2 | – |
| AJP Lenard | 4 | 0 | 42 | 2 | – | – |
| AM Naudi | 4 | 0 | 39 | 1 | 2 | – |
| N Khosla | 2 | 0 | 34 | 1 | 2 | – |
| B Dhandapani | 2 | 0 | 27 | 1 | 1 | – |
| Batsman | Fieldsman | Bowler | Runs | Bls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MJT Crabbe | c J Morgan | b Tanvir Iqbal | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ Grech | c Sajad Ali | b Tanvir Iqbal | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| N Khosla | c J Morgan | b Talat Ali | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| AM Naudi | c Sajad Ali | b Talat Ali | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| MTC Caruana | c J Morgan | b Tanvir Iqbal | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| AJP Lenard* | c Farhat Mahmood | b Talat Ali | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| RRP Sacco | c C Munoz-Mills | b Armaghan Khan | 9 | 14 | 2 | 0 |
| SE Aquilina | b Talat Ali | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| MG Sacco | c J Morgan | b Talat Ali | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| J Grima+ | c Sajad Ali | b Mohib Hussein | 6 | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| B Dhandapani | not out | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| extras | (b4 lb0 w0 nb2) | 6 | ||||
| TOTAL | 10 wickets for | 30 |
| FOW |
|---|
| 1-0(MJT Crabbe) 2-1(DJ Grech) 3-7(AM Naudi) 4-7(MTC Caruana) 5-8(N Khosla) |
| 6-15(AJP Lenard) 7-15(SE Aquilina) 8-15(MG Sacco) 9-22(J Grima) 10-30(RRP Sacco) |
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | wd | nb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanvir Iqbal | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | – | – |
| Talat Ali | 4 | 1 | 13 | 5 | – | – |
| Mohib Hussein | 3 | 2 | 7 | 1 | – | 2 |
| Armaghan Khan | .4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | – | – |