Scorecard

LMT v Sporting Alfas Cricket Club Sporting Alfas Saturday on Sat 17 Aug 2019 at 11am
Sporting Alfas Cricket Club Won Great bowling defends low total

Match report After their deserved away victory earlier in the season, Sporting Alfas made the trip to La Manga looking for the win that would keep them in touching distance of the league title for another year and prevent succumbing to the double. They knew the trip would be anything but easy with LMT’s strength in bowling and fielding higher than most teams in the league.
Fears were confirmed early on when “guest” C. Hunt came out to do the toss with his backward spin and magician hands somehow beat the visiting captain on the toss and got the all-important choice on the early damp wicket.
The toss looked especially important as Alfas lost their first opener for a Golden Duck and their other opener for 1 and were reduced to 10/2 in the 3rd over!!! Thankfully, Abdul, benefiting from several lives from behind the wicket was able to anchor the innings with a fine 47.
The Alfas total did not really get going until the loss of the 4th wicket, fine bowling dismantling the Alfas top order until A. Brown showed some fight with the ever relaxed Abdul at the other end. Some chances went begging for the home team but both batsmen ground out runs to make a valuable 35 run partnership before Brown was caught by Rumi, off the spin bowling of C. Rumi, showing how easy a catch can be with calm nerves.
However, Abdul, thanks to a bit of luck was in form by now and with Walker was able to put on another invaluable 39 before C. Rumi struck again with some more excellent bowling to get Abdul to play on.
Marriner joined Walker and between them put on another 14 before the amazing Rumi Brothers took it upon themselves to take another wicket, this time Theo getting the edge that Charlie held very well, making it look easy. Alfas at 128/7 off 33 overs but there was an inspired cameo to come…..
Ahmed came in for a good time and, as it turned out a long time! Hitting 3 maximums on his way to a score of 36* took Alfas and It seems, their hobbit captain, to a more than defendable total on the hard La Manga pitch of 174.

Brilliant bowling from O. Jarvis taking 4 wickets ably assisted by the other bowlers who built the pressure while he performed Archer-like bowling at his end.

After an “interesting” tea at the bar, with Cricket and Soccer on to keep sports everywhere, the chase of La Manga began. It wasn’t long before LMT’s ‘keeper found himself walking off having been run out at the non-striker’s end in the 2nd over.
Culshaw kept the openers’ curse alive on the day, smashing a ball that was destined for the boundary before K. Perman pucked it out of the air leaving all and sundry stunned. LMT 6/2 off 3.2 overs.
2 became 3 as Walker got the ball to kiss the uppermost edge of the bails to get Neve in the 5th over, nobody on the pitch quite believing what they had witnessed on the delivery.
Big hitting Hunt was in next and lived up to expectations with a classic 6 before just getting an edge to Abdul behind where the ‘keeper showed how they are held. The dangerman was removed with the score on 28/4 off 8.3 and Alfas were thinking they could get out of town with the win they needed.
Jarvis had other ideas however coming in at number 6 and showing that his bowling was just one of his talents as he moved serenely onto 50. In between, young C. Rumi top edged a Perman sorter to allow the Alfas ‘keeper snaffle another one near square leg.
Harvey came and went as Ali got one to spit up on him and as captain Wood was bowled by Ahmed with the score on 53/7, Alfas started to get carried away with themselves.
However, an amazing rear-guard action from C. Wood working in tandem with Jarvis led to the highest partnership of the day and brought the home team back into the game thanks to patience and perfect stroke play. Young Wood stayed relaxed and was confident to see off all the fast bowlers Alfas could throw at him. With the 2nd drinks break, the Alfas captain decided to throw caution to the wind and make a drastic change, bringing on the demon spin of B. Marriner in the hopes of a breakthrough.
The plan worked to perfection as first C. Wood and then the dangerous Jarvis both fell to the unorthodox spin of the 20 year veteran.
With the partnership of the day broken, Alfas had enough time to get the last wicket as James, the early destroyer of the Alfas openers, was the final victim of the ‘keeper for the day, another edge being held without issue to grant Alfas 18 points in a very enjoyable game between often times team mates.
A banana skin avoided and another lesson learnt about the importance of fielding to this magnificent game as LMT gave nothing away, showing just why they won the 1st of the encounters this year.

Sporting Alfas Cricket Club Sporting Alfas Saturday Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
18w 4b 4lb 
for 10 wickets
26
174		        
Mark Perman ct C. Wood Bowled H. James 1
Waqar Ashraf Parveen b H. James 0
Abdul Wajid b C. Rumi 47
Kieran Perman ct P. Harvey Bowled O. Jarvis 5 1
Phill Pennick b O. Jarvis 3 1
Antonio Brown ct T. Rumi Bowled C. Rumi 20
Darren Walker ct C. Rumi Bowled T. Rumi 22
Ben Marriner b O. Jarvis 10
Jamshaid Ahmad Not Out  36
Basharat Ali b O. Jarvis 1 1
Ian Byrne run out C. Wood 3 3

LMT Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
H. James5.001326.502.60
T. Rumi8.0036136.004.50
C. Wood8.002900.003.63
O. Jarvis8.0040410.005.00
C. Rumi7.0130215.004.29
T. Culshaw4.001700.004.25

LMT Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
28w 2lb 
for 10 wickets
30
128 (37.1 overs)		     
J. Kinsella run out Abdul Wajid 2
T. Culshaw ct K. Perman Bowled A. Wajid 0
C. Rumi ct I. Byrne Bowled K. Perman 7
G. Neve b D. Walker 0
C. Hunt ct I. Byrne Bowled A. Wajid 8
O. Jarvis ct D. Walker Bowled B. Marriner 54
P. Harvey ct P. Pennick Bowled B. Ali 1
K. Wood b J. Ahmed 2
C. Wood ct B. Ali Bowled B. Marriner 19
T. Rumi Not Out  5
H. James ct I. Byrne Bowled J. Ahmed 0

Sporting Alfas Cricket Club Sporting Alfas Saturday Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Darren Walker8.0120120.002.50
Abdul Wajid5.0121210.504.20
Basharat Ali8.0224124.003.00
Kieran Perman5.0017117.003.40
Jamshaid Ahmad4.101527.503.60
Waqar Ashraf Parveen3.00900.003.00
Ben Marriner4.0026213.006.50