On Saturday the Marsa CC played against new UK touring team Pontefract New College, who last June won the Yorkshire and Humberside T20 final. The two game series is being played over two Saturdays.
In the first game the Pontefract team batted first. Mark Smith (three runs) and Aaron Lunn (one run) did not have the best of starts. Connor Fisher (who played in their winning final) and Elliot Spears fought back well making seventeen runs and twenty six runs respectively.
Will Carter did not worry the scorer, while Matty Green top scored with twenty nine runs, plenty of great shots on the leg side. Andy Green was starting to find rhythm but was run out after making seven runs.
Joel Moore was also run out without troubling the scorer trying to give the strike to Green. Andy Petch managed to remain not out with a single to his name, while Danny Mills tried hard making seven runs. Daniel Bailey Towns was the last wicket to fall making one run.
The Marsa bowling was shaky giving away twenty six extras. This gave the visitors a total of 118 runs. They were bowled out with a couple balls to spare.
For Marsa, Ali Hamza and Jonathan Tucker took two wickets each. Sarfraz Ali, Sid Anand and Kevin Krishna took a wicket each. John Grima took off his wicket keeping gloves after ten overs in which he took a stumping, and also bowled four overs and took a wicket.
Adam Krishna ( fifteen runs) and Ali Hamza (no score) opened the innings, John Rusher contributed two runs and the Marsa team were looking very worried only having thirty five runs after ten overs.
Peace of mind started to be restored with Kevin Krishna making seventeen runs and Tony Azzopardi top scoring with twenty eight runs. Ramadeep Singh smashed twenty two runs which left Sid Anand (six runs not out) and Jonathan Tucker (three runs not out) to win the game for Marsa with eight balls remaining. Oddly enough there were twenty six extras as well.
For Pontefract, a great bowling spell from Mark Smith, who took four wickets, was the main reason why they had a chance to win. Elliot Spears chipped in with two wickets.
Marsa take a one nil lead in the series.
Next Saturday before the game, the Sunoco cricket Academy/nursery will be from 9:00 till 10:30am.