On Saturday the Cricket Winter League continued with the Marsa C.C playing against Melita C.C.

The Marsa team batted first and lost both openers (Sarfraz Ali and Sumair Khan) for five runs a piece. Sam Aquilina and Tony Azzopardi were putting some respectability on the scoreboard until Azzopardi was well caught by Andy Lenard and had made fourteen runs. Aquilina went on to retire after thirty balls faced. He made thirty five runs which included four fours. Simon Lavender and Sunny Krishna batted till the end of the innings making eleven and nineteen runs respectively.

The Marsa team totalled a modest 101 runs. A score which is low in these twenty over encounters. For Melita, Dave Borg, Justin Brooke and Justin Farrin Thorne all took a wicket each.

The Melita innings started well enough with Andrew Mitchell hitting a six, but was then out the next ball with a score of nine runs from seven balls. Dave Mansfield was in and out and did not trouble the scorers at all. Justin Farrin Thorne and Frank Spiteri batted very well together and were both set to retire at thirty balls each. Farrin Thorne was run out by a direct hit after facing twenty nine balls, he scored twenty five runs.

Spiteri retired and had made the same score, but was later to return to the crease as team mates lost their wickets. Three wickets fell for six runs, Ansy Naudi scored thirteen runs while Justin Brooke scored six runs. So Spiteri returned to the crease with Tim Wheeler at the other end.

With two overs to left and eight runs needed for victory Spiteri hit a four and then took a single which brought Wheeler to the strike. Wheeler blocked a couple of balls and then the chance the Marsa team were waiting for came and was sadly missed. Wheeler had an outside edge which the wicket keeper could not hold which then with the ball dropping to the floor the first slip tried in vain to hold on to the catch. Wheeler survived and Spiteri made the remaining runs in the last over.

A great match in deed. For Marsa Sarfraz Ali and Derek Ali both took three wickets while Mike Caruana took one.

With this win Melita are now equal in points with Krishna C.C who will be playing for the League next Saturday.

On Saturday morning the Sunoco cricket academy/nursery will be from 9:00 till 10:30am.

Photo shows Tim Wheeler.

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