For Mojacor Phil Beal and veteran Keith Houseman put on 99 runs for the 2nd wicket and while Beal was there threatened to overhaul Nomads' total especially as Nomads were spilling catches.

However with the removal of Beal, bowled Trevedi, and then the introduction of Andy Smith and return of Chris Page, the Mojacor innings though maintaining momentum kept losing wickets until finally replacement George Wambeke was bowled with the last ball, leaving Mojacor 20 runs short. 

Mojacor hit nine 6s,Nomads hit zero 6s perhaps an indication of Nomads inexperience of batting on the artificial surface. It may be argued that Jeremy's idiosyncratic innings made a match of it  though the oppo' skipper was heard to mutter he hadn't driven all that way to watch people pat dot balls all afternoon so he brought  on some secondary bowlers on!!!!! Indeed but for wides the game would have been a real nail bitter.

  It was unfortunate that our main opening bowler Krunic was sidelined having injured himself playing soccer on the Sunday prior to the tour! Yet the sight of eleven players on the field and three watching at one pount was very welcome after the embarrassing debacle of last year.  

MATCH 51 LA MANGA/MOJACOR CCs v NOMADS CC at La Manga Club Upper Cricket Ground Thursday October 18th 1.00pm-40 overs match with bowlers limited to 8 overs.

Match Cancelled due to  Rain and Wet Pitch and Ground  

                          Top Order Squander Victory chance after fine bowling effort 

 Local Alfas scribe writes as follows-

The Alfas captain won the toss, elected to bat, and immediately saw the season's most prolific run scorer depart in the first over off the bowling of Thewlis. After thirty-two runs had been added for the second wicket, Crompton and W. Ul-Rehman took the score to 114 in the twenty-third over before the former fell just four runs short of his half-century. Wasim Ul-Rehman, playing his first match for the Club since suffering a hand injury whilst playing for Spain at the beginning of August, held the innings together as he made an influential sixty and in doing so passed five hundred runs for the season. The introduction of Blumberg into the bowling attack and the return of Thewlis for his second spell, caused the Alfas innings to disintegrate as the last five wicket fell for the addition of just five runs. For the visitors, Blumberg claimed 3-15 and Thewlis 3-21, whilst wicketkeeper Lee claimed five victims although startingthe match as sub for Dileep Trevedi. Although the Alfas total was a modest one, it was still reasonably competitive given the slowness of the damp outfield.

The Nomads lost an early wicket to the bowling of Lupson, before Latchman and Padhani looked to have matters under control as the score was taken to fifty-three by the twelfth over. When Wasim Ul-Rehman started his eight over spell he had an immediate impact upon the innings as he claimed four wickets at a cost of twenty-five runs. With the score standing at 103-7, it appeared that Alfas would complete a comfortable victory. However, Page and Morley-Clarke showed some determination and aided by a couple of Alfas fielding lapses a close finish became a real prospect. Alfas eventually prevailed as the innings closed in the thirty-seventh over, giving the home side a sixteen run success**.

In spite of the difficult ground conditions the afternoon had produced an excellent and closely fought game of cricket.This was a game we undoubtedly should have won, requiring 4 an over at the start and after a productive opening less than 4 for most of the match. However senior players played some rash shots under no pressure and with Alfas having bowled out their proper bowlers even the last wicket pair should have prospered against 4 fill in overs! Without Hawkeye discussion over Padhani and Thewlis's lbws is pointless but an accurate total on the scoreboard at the end of the 36th over would have been more than helpful as would a fit and well Trevedi.Many thanks to Alfas for  staging this match in view of the condition of much of  the lower part of the ground.