Scorecard

Torrevieja v Sporting Alfas Cricket Club Sporting Alfas Sunday on Sat 25 Jul 2015 at 1.00
Sporting Alfas Cricket Club Lost Alfas fail in their chase on the sticky wicket

Match report Sporting Alfas made the trip down to Torrevieja on a hot day in August with just one thing on their minds.....the "mat" Although Torre's ground is on the smaller side, the combination of a lumpy dead mat and a long outfield make scoring difficult and is the true definition of "home field advantage"

Torrevieja batted first and Wood enjoyed a few lives on his way to 25, the pick of which was a simple spoon to cover where the fielder was too busy practising his "I'm a Little Tea Pot" routine to even bother watching the game or moving 1 foot for the catch. Both Torre openers seeing off the opening combination for the Alfas and taking the score past 30 in the first 10 overs.

However, the introduction of Bash Ali changed matters and he showed just how dangerous a straight ball is on this pitch. First ball saw Meekins fall clean bowled. 34/1 In his 4th Over, Bash struck again, another straight ball met a Wood Waft and the stumps fell, 47/2.

Wareing showed some nice shots and good command of his home pitch, taking some on the body in the process for his 16 until, Bash, in his last over, managed to flick the bails off and Torre were 65/3 moving to 68/4 by the second drinks break next over, Thakur trying to hit the ball out of the park but, that rarest of sights in cricket, a Waqer straight ball, saw his stumps dismantle when the pitch did it's job and kept the ball under the bat.

10 overs to go and Darwen decided to take control of the innings for Torre. Quick singles and strike rotation were forced on the Torre team by Darwen to push the score on. Ullah however, fell victim to the Alfas classic move of the Waqar run out. A wideish delivery was pushed past slip by Byrne and Ullah at the non strike end called a run. Waqer swooped and launched a rocket at the wicket, however, Ullah saw that the ball was passing well in front of the stumps and slowed to a walk, Byrne however managed to slap a hand at the ball to divert it back to the wicket and Ullah, walking to the crease had to walk on by back to the hut 77/5.

However, with the Torre Skipper Blann joining Darwen, they managed to go after the Alfas bowling well in the last 7 overs and bring the score up to 109 before Blann fell to Dell, again right on the stumps with his wiley left arm drift. With just the last over to go, Darwen stepped back, opened his arms and managed to take 11 off it to end the innings not out on 34 and bring Torre up to 120.

The Alfas reply started with a new experiment, J. Perman being pushed up to opener with McKinstry but the Torre bowlers kept things very tight at the start. Guichard opened with a solid maiden before we had quite a wait for the sescond over! Blann, in no way letting power go to his head, had put himself down on the teamsheet twice and totally left out Ullah from the sheet so when he gave his name to the umpire, frantic checking was done before he was given the all clear and Blann was reduced to being just the one player.

Alfas would have taken 2 Blann's however as Ullah ripped through the Alfas top order, his first 3 overs were all maidens and 2 of them wicket maidens. Both McKinstry and Perman falling for 1 apeice.

K. Perman and Byrne fared no better, the former bowled, like the openers, for 0 and Byrne picking out Ullah off the bowling of Guichard for another duck. 8/4 off 9 overs, not good Reading.

Abdul and Ward tried to mount some semblance of a fight back and moved the score on to 28 before Guichard got another clean bowled, Ward falling for 3 and left staring at the mat as the ball seemed to defy gravity and physics on it's way past his sterling forward defensive, 28/5 which soon became 28/6 as first change bowler Meekins got Abdul to flick behind and get caught on 18.

Bash and Waqer were now at the crease and Bash was denied a glorious 4 as, with a plastic bag making it's way across the pitch, Guichard came in and bowled but just as Bash drove it away, Dead Ball was called (Booooo) and the 4 was chalked off. Things went from bad to worse for Bash shortly after as he did not last the rest of the over, bowled by Guichard 2 balls later for 6. Waqer who had some luck with the pitch last year fell shortly after, another ball that kept too low for the bat went under his drive and left his stumps reeling. 45/8 as Skipper Perman went out to join Dell.

At least the Skipper made an impact. Marching out with a fury at seeing the team collapse, he channelled his energy and rage into a well constructed 29* hitting the bad ball and watching anything near the stumps carefully. Dell fell to Ullah with the score on 63 to give Ullah another wicket maiden and finally, the Alfas were put out of their misery in the 33rd over when last man Roper popped one up off the bowling of Wareing to be caught by.....bloody Ullah again!!! Ullah ending up with 3 for 10 off 10 and 2 catches.

Well played to Torrevieja, they used every bit of knowedge of their home pitch to their advantage and that's what it's all about, 1 each between the teams this year, home wins for both.

Alfas MOM - M. Perman a vital not out of 29, just too late in the game

Torrevieja Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
19w 3b  
for 6 wickets
22
120 (40.0 overs)		     
G. Meekins b  B. Ali 7 1
K. Wood b  B. Ali 25 4
M. Wareing b  B. Ali 16 2
C. Darwen Not Out  34 6
V. Thakur b  W. Ashraf 2
H. Ulla run out  Ashraf / Byrne 3
L. Blann b  A. Dell 13 2
C. Guichard Not Out  1
B. Morris  
N. Harris  
A. McDowell  

Sporting Alfas Cricket Club Sporting Alfas Sunday Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Kieran Perman8.003900.004.88
Abdul Wajid10.022600.002.60
Basharat Ali10.051133.671.10
Waqar Ashraf Parveen10.0236136.003.60
Andy Dell2.01515.002.50

Sporting Alfas Cricket Club Sporting Alfas Sunday Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
1nb 12w 2b 2lb 
for 10 wickets
17
87		        
Neil McKinstry b  H. Ullah 1
Jack Perman b  H. Ullah 1
Abdul Wajid ct  C. Darwen Bowled G. Meekens 18 1 1
Kieran Perman b  C. Guichard 0
Ian Byrne ct  H. Ullah Bowled C. Guichard 0
Grahame Ward b  C. Guichard 3
Waqar Ashraf Parveen b  G. Meekens 3 1
Basharat Ali b  C. Guichard 6
Andy Dell b  H. Ullah 6
Mark Perman not out  29 29 5
Kyle Roper ct  H. Ullah Bowled M. Wareing 3

Torrevieja Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
C. Guichard10.022145.252.10
H. Ullah10.051033.331.00
G. Meekens4.0020210.005.00
C. Darwen1.00300.003.00
K. Wood4.001800.004.50
M. Wareing2.3013113.005.20
V. Thakur2.01200.001.00