|
We set off on Friday evening from just by the airport for the three hour drive to Béziers, with a quick pitstop for a overpriced service station sandwich. With most of the drive done with rain falling (and much more of the stuff predicted over the weekend), we weren’t overly optimistic of much play over the weekend. We were due to play two games at the Midi cricket ground in Pouzolles, having been due to tour there a few years ago only for the now defunct Midi CC to frustratingly cancel on us on the Friday morning. Saturday scorecard The first game was a 35-over affair against Montpellier Barracudas CC. We arrived at the transformed football ground as the lawnmower was going around, and there was even a surprise reunion as one of the opposition players happened to be a friend of Maroof Shaikh’s from India! The morning was very warm and sunny, although we knew there was rain expected in the afternoon. When Lauren Pamenter’s first ball went for six over the fence, she was probably hoping it would come sooner! A couple more lusty blows from the Montpellier opener followed in that opening over before he was adjudged LBW by the home umpire. Lauren was soon to have another LBW decision go her way, whilst Sam Phillipps at the “other end” kept the scoring rate down. Sam had an absolutely plumb LBW shout turned down (the umpire clearly having used up his quota!) and ‘deliberately’ dropped a caught and bowled to allow keeper Shriram Bhosale to get a run out. With the French hosts four down early on, we fancied our chances of rattling through them quickly. Zeeshan Dildar and Simon Eldridge were introduced into the attack and both claimed a wicket too, before returning captain Umer Razi started rotating the bowling (with all ten outfielders getting a go). Ali and Fareed hit some big shots for the hosts, boosting their score to 188. They were all out in the 28th over, with the last wicket a great run out by Maroof. There had been a wicket for the accurate Vishesh Gajjar and a couple for Umer too. After a quick lunch, and with the clouds starting to roll in, Maroof and Khyzer Nawaz opened the batting. The two got us off to a relatively quick start, aided by some inaccurate bowling (and the wides that came from it) until Maroof was out in the fifth over caught behind as the drizzle started falling. Khyzer had been somewhat hogging the strike and this continued with his new partner Simon Eldridge. The two were struggling to rotate the strike, or hit big shots, so it was somewhat inevitable when Simon was run out attempting a second run. Khyzer and returning guest Pandian were both dismissed the following over, as a now traditional middle-order collapse started to take place. Shriram and Vishesh came together and upped the rate for a couple of overs before everyone was forced off as the rain increased. After about half an hour’s break, we went back out despite there being drizzle still falling. Sadly, this only lasted three overs until we were forced off again. It was ultimately the end of the game, with us on a below-par but not out of the game 70/4. The hosts decided to call it a draw, rather than work out any DLS result (which I’m sure wouldn’t have been in our favour!). It had been a great game played in good spirits and the relatively-newly formed Barracudas were fantastic hosts.  All smiles after the game with Montpellier, despite the abandonment The forecast for Sunday was even worse and the rain started at about 8am. The ground had taken a lot of water overnight and had gone from being very dry to suddenly muddy. The astroturf pitch was sodden and with rain constantly falling we called the game off at about 11 o’clock. We started heading home, stopping for a couple of hours in Perpignan for lunch and a sport of tourism. Our thanks again to Nimes for even trying to get a game on for us, especially given their own commute to get there. Hopefully we’ll see you in Barcelona soon! A great weekend with spirits high, despite the lack of cricket and the soggy weather. Maybe a third BICC tour to France will go better…? Sam Phillipps  Enjoying dinner together on Saturday night
0 Comments
Scorecard It was a sunny and warm afternoon for the start of the new Cricket España-run Northeastern League. We were to face Bengali CC in the debut match at the Carlos Pérez baseball stadium in Montjuïc in a Sunday evening fixture that would eventually end under lights (and some rain!). Shriram Bhosale won the toss in what is probably his last game as stand-in skipper. Without hesitation he decided to bowl first. It was apparent right from the off that the Bengali batting line up was an inexperienced one and they were very reliant on a couple of their batters, opener Pabel Rahman (50) and captain Hasin bin Hakim (32). None of the seven bowlers used could dismiss them but some sharp work in the field saw them both run out. No one else (except our old friend Mr W. Ides) got into double figures although we were a bit disappointed to let Bengali reach an admittedly below-par score of 125/6 from their 20 overs. There were two wickets apiece for opening bowlers James Bentley and Lauren Pamenter, while Sam Phillipps and Vishesh Gajjar both chipped in with one each. Despite Bengali reaching a score considerably above what might have been expected during most of the innings, we went into the short innings break confident of chasing it down. Regular opener Maroof Shaikh was partnered by Burhan Ejaz, not required with the ball today as he returns to being a specialist batter. They put together a partnership that saw us just short of halfway when Burhan was dismissed with the score on 60 in just the eighth over. Maroof was similarly caught by the keeper a few balls later bringing fake-Aussie Shane Lightley and fake-Brit Damien McMullen together. Damien was brilliantly run out from the deep, starting a collapse as we went from 83/2 to 89/5. James and keeper Khyzer Nawaz settled the nerves with a 35-run partnership that took the scores level, before Khyzer tried to win the game with one of his trademark scoops and was inevitably bowled. Vishesh came in and hit the winning run off his first ball to cheers from the boundary! A much needed win for BICC as some much needed rain fell. We retired to the bar for a celebratory drink before heading for a late dinner. Congrats and thanks to Shriram, who amazingly finishes his spell as stand-in skipper with two trophies and us top of the league! Sam Phillipps  Scorecard Catches win matches, is the old saying in cricket... While stand-in skipper for the match, Shriram Bhosale, was winning the toss some light precipitation fell across the Carlos Perez campo de Beisbol stadium. It wasn't enough to dampen the spirits of BICC though, they took to the field full of vitality and vigour, after some pre-match drills. James "Brisbane express" Bentley opened the bowling from the concert hall end, with Shriram steaming in second over. It wasn't long before the debut skipper was rewarded with a wicket, an absolute beauty rearranging the stumps. The Brisbane express was coming off track, until an adjustment was made to the run up and soon found his line again. A change of bowlers often brings a wicket, and this time Joseph with Sam "baby faced assassin" Phillipps was no exception. Joseph bowling a nagging line and length tempted the Badalona captain into a lofty drive, as the ball sailed up into the evening sun, Shane "doesn't wear Ray Ban for nothing" Lightley was running in from mid off to take the catch. The catching practice session wasn't wasted from Saturday's nets session and within minutes Uswa "capitana" Syed was plucking one out the air at gully, giving Joseph a well deserved second wicket. Meanwhile, not to be outdone, the baby faced assassin was rattling the stumps to get in on the action. Making her debut for BICC was our newly appointed women's captain Uswa Syed, introducing her spin to the attack, and with Bill "sticky fingers" Brooks lurking at mid wicket she soon picked up a couple of wickets that Bill gobbled up in his mitts. At this point it's worth mentioning how exceptional the BICC fielding had been, committed and with barely a misfield, let alone a dropped catch. And as the sun was low on the horizon Shiram took a screamer out on the boundary off of Uswa, to finish her spell with excellent figures of 3 for 11. Even Maroof "don't mention Madrid" Shaikh took a great catch at deep mid wicket, unfortunately it was in vain as the delivery was an above waist no ball. Joseph returned to finish his spell and picked up a third wicket, a tidy 3 for 26. Enter into the fray the ever ready Leo "the dentist" Español with a quick piece of fielding to extract a Badalona batsman with a run out. Not to go home empty handed the Brisbane express clean bowled a Badalona rabbit to pick up a solitary wicket and end the Badalona innings.  Breaking fast The BICC innings began after a short interval to break fast with Bill and Maroof, under the lights in full darkness. Bill fancied a long spell of umpiring so stood in front of the stumps and was dismissed LBW for the first of several ducks. Uswa was next and soon back in the dugout, without troubling the scorer. Now Bruce, to steady the ship with Maroof and set about the Badalona bowling. After looking settled Maroof chipped one back to the bowler and was out for 8, with Shubh in and out like a flash Shane was unexpectedly on his way to calm the BICC nerves. With Bruce and Shane in control the runs finally began to flow, Bruce executing a sublime cover drive to the boundary while Shane cutting outside off stump until a mix up in the running of a quick single ended the partnership, having scored 16. In came Shriram who didn't waste any time dismantling the bowling and hit hard, the run rate was creeping up though and with an unbeaten 25 not out it wasn't enough. Bruce's good knock came to an end, bowled for a well played 28. James had a little cameo with Shriram and finished with 11 not out. All in all a good team performance, but runs win matches, not catches. Shane Lightley  Pre-game catching practice in the drizzle
Scorecard On a bright and warm afternoon at the Carlos Perez baseball ground in Montjuic the BICC players arrived promptly and were soon practicing on the outfield. Jack "safe hands" Jewson was making his debut as captain, winning the toss and choosing to bat first. Within minutes Jack was padded up and striding out with opening partner Maroof "Teflon" Shaikh. Overseeing proceedings for the first few overs was Shane "trigger finger" Lightley, calling play and the BICC innings was underway. Jack and Maroof started confidently, running well and put the Fateh fielders under pressure. Unfortunately for Jack it wasn't long before he feathered one behind and the old trigger finger went up, although Jack the gentleman was already walking. In came Shubh and didn't waste any time finding the boundary. A partnership quickly formed and Maroof grew in confidence, getting 36 well hit runs before a rush of blood to the head, down the wicket and was stumped. Supun was next in and one ball later was making the long and lonely walk back, pinned in the block hole LBW. Vishesh walked out but he wasn't the bunny Fateh was hoping for. Instead Vishesh played with composure and improvised a few ramp shots. Shubh was still finding the boundary on regular occasions until he was trapped LBW for a fine 44. Next up was Shane, some might say the backbone of the batting order, to steady the ship and keep the runs ticking over, until Vishesh tried one ramp shot too many and was caught behind for 13. Aman was in and out in the blink of an eye making the same lonely walk as Supun had earlier. Little Agni strode out, a new man since his operation, and snatched an immediate cheeky single. The BICC innings was over with Shane 5* and Agni stuck on 1* having wafted without success at the last few balls. During the interval the BICC players were treated to a motivational speech from the energetic captain Jack, and it seemed to pay off as the BICC bowlers were rewarded with good opening spells. Sam bounding in like a young Roy Orbison, sunglasses on and quiff wafting in the wind, bowling a nagging line and length. He had the opener caught by Aussie James and soon after pinned the Fateh number 3 LBW, endling with 2-26 and good economy. Steaming in to open the bowling with Sam was the Brisbane express, James, bowling well and and got his reward of clean bowling the other opener and ended with 1-36. BICC were in the luxurious position of having three quick wickets and then all of a sudden the wickets dried up and the runs flowed for Fateh as their big hitting leftie dispatched the BICC bowling with relative ease. Shriram, after having been called for a debatable no-ball first delivery, was unfortunate to end his spell wicketless. Aman bowled with control and got his debut wicket with some nimble glove work from Jack, taking a stumping. But as the sun was setting across the Iberian peninsula so was the hopes of a victory for captain Jack, as several catches were dropped the Fateh batters reached the target with at least three overs to spare. Shane Lightley  Maroof and Jack walking out to open the innings Saturday scorecard Sunday scorecard SATURDAY It was 1pm start on a sunny yet chilly afternoon at the amazing Woodbridge Oval In Alfàs del Pi, a beautiful setting for a 30 over game. Our hosts had just installed a new artificial pitch in January, which was making its debut against us. We were offered the toss and captain Umer chose to bowl on it, to have a look at how it played. The Alfas innings was well anchored with the opening partnership between Crompton and Brown taking the home team score to 39 before Crompton was dismissed by our ringer Pandian. Spanish Captain Muñoz came in at No 3 and suffered a somewhat shaky start being dropped twice whilst in early double digits and hit on the shoulder by Pandian. Simon Eldridge took two wickets in two balls but was unable to complete his hattrick at the start of his next over. BICC paid the price for those drops as Muñoz opened up with plenty of big hits ending up on a rapid 108 before retiring alongside captain Pinnick (23*) to give the lower order a chance. It was not a chance that any of them took particularly well but nonetheless the score ended on a healthy 201. BICC bowling was in the most part good with little extras. Sam Phillipps had a tidy opening spell of 13-0 off 4 keeping the ball well pitched up. Simon with those 2 wickets for 24 with off-spin. Tom (1/26), Pandian (1/38) and Suraj opted to take advantage of the lively wicket with some shorter stuff. Leandro’s new medium pace bowling asked some questions of the batters and Umer and Hesh took a wicket apiece. An estimated total of 8 catches were dropped or ‘not arrived at’ (to not say, ‘run away from’) which was the main disappointment for the visitors, especially given how Muñoz scored an extra 80-odd after his first drop! After a nice array of sandwiches and hot tea, BICC innings kicked off with openers Pandian (40) and Bill Brooks (19) made cautious starts against some tight bowling from Walker and Malik. Shane Lightley chiseled out 34 anchoring from number 3 and top scorer captain Umer made 52 off 32 deliveries trying his best to get on top of the run rate. In the end with 50 needed off the last 4 overs it was too much to ask. Steady bowling and good fielding, including a great catch from captain Pennick at deep long on, were enough to see Sporting Alfas to victory. BICC ended up on 174/3. Not many wickets for Alfas, with all three going to their first change bowlers of Morris (2/28) and Braithwaite (1/22) who proved hard to get away. Catches win matches! The 12 of us headed into town for a curry in the evening. It turned out to be a quiet night for most of us... SUNDAY The Sunday game was a 20 over affair, BICC electing to bat having again been offered by the home team. With confusion as to the starting time, the Brits amongst us decided to head across the road to the British shop for some home comforts. Some went for sweets and goodies, others for over cleaners. More on that later… Tom opened the batting and with a plane to catch he opted for the aerial route early doors adding a quick fire 3 before being caught via some cirrus cumulus. Shubh Deb was joined by No3 Umer, moved things forward to 80 after first ten overs, both ending with half centuries providing the most of the BICC runs. Shubh fell the ball after passing 50 and Umer was dismissed in the penultimate over. That the third top scorer was Suraj and James with 4 shows how reliant we were on Shubh and Umer! A helpful contribution of extras took BICC to a modest but defendable 137 total. Only five bowlers were used by Alfas, Aitor with 2/37 and pick of the bowlers Perman with 2/18 from his four overs. There was another fine lunch spread served during the innings break, including pork pies today! Sporting Alfas started about their task facing some good straight bowling from BICC, resulting in most of the top order being given out LBW. Some resistance came from Pernham (15) who was bowled by Sam having failed to pick up his off-cutter, the pick of the BICC attack finishing with 2 for 11. Pandian and Suraj also picked up wickets and Simon maintained good economy despite a failing knee. The backbone of the Alfas innings was Crompton who accelerated his innings nicely, ending on 54 not out, with Malik and Tyler helping to keep the score moving. There was a little panic in the BICC ranks towards the end but they finished 21 runs short to leave us with our first victory of the year! A great weekend was had by all. We played mini wacky races back up to Barcelona between three cars on the AP7 and the last Vueling flight back home (James’ trip home made easier following the confiscation of his oven cleaner!). Our thanks to Alfas for hosting us again for their season opener, great to see you again! Bill Brooks & Sam Phillipps  1st game scorecard 2nd game scorecard After just under eight months in existence, our women’s team entered its first tournament on Sunday. It was hosted by Fundació privada per a l’Esport i l’Educació de Barcelona (FEEB) and we were delighted to be invited to take part, alongside some of the other women’s cricketing hubs in the city. The tournament was due to be a six-aside tapeball tournament with four teams, but given the numbers that signed up it turned into an eleven-aside tournament. Our six players (Katie, Cami, Cècile, Anoushey, Mary and Ankita) were paired up with five from the Criquet Jove (CJ) team to make an historic first BICC Women’s XI. The team really lived up to our International name from the get-go, with our six players from six different countries. The games, originally scheduled to be 10 overs, were reduced to eight following a late start. The tournament kicked off with two games in which we were not involved, but it gave our inexperienced players some time to watch, observe and learn from the other teams, with club captain Umer (presumably) offering some good advice from the sidelines. After that long wait, we finally got our chance against the Concell de Cent team. Katie had won the toss and elected to bowl, reasoning that she always likes to know what she’s chasing. We started off very well, as CJ guest Aneesa clean bowled the Concell captain Hifsa (a Spanish international, no less) and was on a hat-trick when she bowled Maria next ball too. Some good fielding was shown during the innings, as we claimed two run outs. There was also a wicket for Ankita, who took a great caught and bowled. Concell de Cent finished on 70/5, with a few too many wides helping their cause. Whilst a daunting target, especially for a new team, we were definitely still in the game. Aneesa and Simran opened the batting for us, looking to get a positive start. Both fell cheaply before a BICC-dominant middle order of Anoushey, Ankita, Cami and Cècile tried in vain to chase the target. In the end, despite some help from extras of our own, inexperience caught us out but we finished on a very respectable 57/5. Ankita finished with a well made 7* (not often you can say that), hitting some good shots that all managed to go straight to a fielder. What could have been... Despite the loss of the first game and of a player in between games, confidence had grown after a first experience of a real game. Ankita, captaining the second game, won the toss again and this time chose to bat against SDJ Besòs. It meant we were straight back out to the middle. Ramin and Katie opened up, and decided not to give anyone else a chance! They batted the whole eight overs with a brilliant 86-run partnership to bring up the highest total of the day. There were nine boundaries hit during the innings, and some great running between the wickets to boost. There was a wicket off the first ball, after confusion between the openers left the non-striker stranded, run-out for a diamond duck. Aneesa claimed another wicket in the first over and we were well on top. Anoushey, who had been reluctant to bowl in the first game, and Katie came on and really restricted the Besòs batters from scoring freely. Both were rewarded with a well-deserved wicket. Besòs eventually finished on 43/5 and we had a comprehensive victory in just our second game! There was fantastic work from all the players, who have worked very hard to improve their game throughout the year (some starting from absolute zero). Everyone was all smiles at the end, despite playing in very chilly, dark conditions by the end (yours truly standing still umpiring/ scoring was a bit grumpier). We’re looking forward to the next tournament already, bring on next year! If you want to get involved, get in touch!  Cècile, Cami, Katie, Anoushey and Ankita after their victory (joined by Anton, Sam and Umer) Saturday scorecard Sunday scorecard After a postponed internal charity game last weekend, we welcomed London side The Spread CC on tour to Barcelona for our first game after the summer break. We were to play two games, the first being a T20 under the lights at the baseball ground in Montjuïc. Tom Coulthard and Pep Mateos made their debuts for the club, as we fielded two Spaniards in the same game (Leandro Español the other on his birthday!). Captain Umer Razi performed his magic trick of losing the toss, and Spread chose to bat. Sam Phillipps and Todd Fraser opened up without much luck. Anish Shindore replaced Sam and immediately picked up a wicket, which Todd copied in his fourth and final over to send both openers back to the shed. Burhan Ejaz replaced Todd, with the Londoners finding him most difficult to get away, his three overs costing just 13, in addition to claiming the wicket of Spreading captain Simon. Pep came on for his first over for the club, and it was certainly an interesting first go… There were a couple of wides and a wicket before he went off injured after three legal balls! Shane Lightley finished his over in a rather less dramatic fashion. Pep leaving the field meant the all-Spanish bowling attack would have to wait, as Leandro came on at the other end, he too claiming a wicket stumped brilliantly by Jack Jewson. Umer then brought himself on for a couple of unusually expensive overs before Tom bowled the final over of the innings. Spread finished on 162/6 from their 20. Jack and Anish opened up knowing we needed a quick start, but sadly it wasn’t one they were able to offer as we were reduced to 20/2. Umer came in at 3 but was poorly supported by those at the other end. He made a 50 at above a run a ball before retiring with the game becoming a mathematical improbability. Shane (17*) and Nial saw us through the 20 overs but we finished 46 runs short of victory. We headed up to the bar for a drink or two before attempting to get a taxi to Poble Nou for a few more! On Saturday, we headed up to Vic for a 35-over game with some feeling a bit(!) worse for wear. Dev Kumar made his debut behind the stumps, whilst Pandian made his BICC debut on loan from Men in Blue CC. Spread won the toss again and like Friday chose to bat first. There was a steady start against openers Burhan and Tom. Sam somewhat benefitted from this slow start as he was able to pick up the wickets of both openers alongside Simon. Damien and Pandian replaced them and they continued to keep the run-flow tight, whilst also picking up three wickets leaving Spread on 124/5. There were further wickets for Shane (2/13), Umer and the returning Simon as Spread collapsed to 154 all out, dismissed with two balls left. We were certainly more confident than Friday about our chances of chasing that total, even if it was just on the low side of par for the ground. Nial Evans and Shane opened up, with another cagey start. Shane was dismissed having not really troubled the scorers and Dev replaced him. He made a quickfire 30 in partnership with Umer, who would become the backbone of the innings. Damien McMullen, Simon and Burhan chipped in with handy contributions as we got closer to the target. Eventually Tom scored the winning runs with over six overs to spare, with Umer finishing on 40* in a captain’s knock. One win each over the weekend which was probably a fair result. We returned back to Barcelona after the game and wished Spread well. It had been a great weekend and we hope to one day visit Spread back in London! Sam Phillipps  On Thursday, taking advantage of the Sant Joan holidays, we welcomed the University of Reading’s cricket team to the baseball ground in Montjuïc. With a 2 o’clock meet, we were prepared for something of a warm day. This was only compounded when Umer Razi managed to lose the toss against a random Reading player (rather than their captain), who rather sensibly put us in the field. Their squad consisted of a mix of first- and second-team players, as well as some social members enjoying an end of year blowout. Despite it being their only game of the week, they had enjoyed some beach cricket and even had a bowl in the bay. Their youthfulness managed not to show that they had been out until about 7am that morning… Such youthfulness was not on show for our opening bowler Simon Eldridge, as Umer went for a spin/ swing opening bowling combination with Sam Phillipps at the “other end”. Sam bowled a wicket maiden in the second over to get us on the board. Henry Hawkes came into the attack soon after and picked up a first BICC wicket (in his last game before leaving!), well caught by the keeper Barry Edwards. This was a trick that Mohsin Nawaz later repeated, as he also picked up a wicket first over. There was a drinks break taken after 16 overs, as we all gave up on trying to make it through the innings without one (it was rather warm!), before the students went on the attack for the final four overs. Reading finished on a respectable 144 from their 20 overs. Barry opened up with Ravi Maduranga, also in his last game for the club before moving. They got us off to a reasonable start before Ravi got out. Barry followed the ball before the more smartly arranged halfway drinks break with us on 75/2 and looking like favourites. Once Umer and Mohsin had been dismissed, it left us with one of the oldest batting partnerships of BICC history - Simon and Anton! They led us across the line to something of a comfortable win. We headed up to the bar after the game to rehydrate before the Sant Joan festivities that night! Great to meet Reading, and we hope to welcome them back again in the future. Sam Phillipps  All scorecards here With the 40th anniversary of the first Barcelona CC match just a couple of days away, current and former members were invited to Vidreres for a big celebration. Despite a few last minute drop outs, there were 29 players there as well as a few spectators. Their debuts are spread out over the past 15 years or so (or indeed yet to come!) and came from all corners of the globe - with some nine countries represented on the day. A seven-a-side tournament had been arranged, with the four teams to be captained by three former BICC captains, Damien McMullen (2013-14), Alex Wollauz (2014-16), Mohsin Nawaz (2016-2020) and current captain Umer Razi (2022- ).  The four captains. L-R: Mohsin, Damien, Umer, Alex. The first match saw Alex’s Team A play Damien’s Team B. Despite a wicket in the first over, Team B put on a hefty 70 runs in their five overs thanks to contributions from Jack and Ravindu. Team A were never quite with it in the chase, finishing 18 runs short. The second match was between Mohsin’s Team C and Umer’s Team D. It was a much lower scoring affair, with D only managing 35/1 despite a solid knock from Jon. Team C completed the chase after just 20 balls, Nial and Shubh ensuring a 5 wicket win. A short break was taken for our biryani and samosa lunch. In Team A’s second match they had more success with the bat, finishing with a respectable 61 runs. Team C were seemingly chasing it down with no trouble, until drama struck in the final over. With just three needed from the final four balls, Alex ran out Nial, attempting a second run, from the deep. Sam bowled both Mohsin and Nick first ball leaving two still needed off the final ball. Shubh edged to stand-in keeper Edward who dropped it and could only watch the batters scramble the two runs needed! As if that wasn’t enough excitement there was another break after this game, as we noticed a fire had broken out in the next field. A helicopter appeared shortly afterwards to nick some water from the swimming pool next door, leaving us to hold our marquees and tents down. When that drama had subsided, we could continue with the tournament. The penultimate group game was much more mundane than the previous hour’s entertainment! Team B scored 55/2 from their five overs, thanks to some lusty blows from Bill (and a good amount of wides). Team D knocked the total off with an over to spare, Umer finishing 44* off just 17 balls. The last group game was between Team D and Team A, who were desperately looking for a win after heartbreak in their previous game, whilst Team D knew they needed to win for a chance to play the final. In something of a reverse batting order, Sam and Anoushka opened. The two batted the whole innings finishing on 40, Sam surprising the spectators with an out of character 25*. Team D again chased down the total with an over to spare, Umer finishing the game with a four. This meant that three teams had two wins, so a bowl out was arranged to decide the two teams that would progress to the final. With only one player hitting the stumps from each team in the original phase, it went to sudden death. Shubh hit the stumps for the second consecutive time, sending his Team C to the final. Shortly afterwards, Simon too hit the stumps, thus eliminating Team B and setting up a C vs D final. The final was a six-a-side affair, with both teams having lost a player to injury before or during the day. Team C batted first and, despite losing Nial first ball set up a daunting total of 70/3, thanks to runs from Mohsin (24) and Maroof (32*). A shoutout should also go to Nick for his brilliant 0* (0 balls) who deservedly walked off raising his bat to the applause of the onlookers. Team D knew they had a challenge on, knowing they were about 10 runs above par. With the top 3 only able to deal in singles, the runrate quickly got away from them and it was clear who was likely to win. Umer hit a quick 27* but it was nowhere near enough and Team C finished as champions, winning the final by 21 runs! Prizes were awarded at the end, with Sam winning bowler of the day and Nial winning batter of the day. Team A were awarded the BICC-branded wooden spoon and Team C their tiny plastic medals that most couldn’t get over their heads (and not just because their ego had risen). We returned to Barcelona on the bus with many heading to Koh-i-Noor for a curry and a Cobra, thanks to our new sponsor. My personal thanks go to everyone on the committee who helped put this together; to Mohsin for organising the new commemorative shirts; to everyone who turned up and made it a great day to remember; and to those who didn’t but have kept the club going over the years, despite all the difficulties. It was a day that showed just what this club is, a multicultural community united by cricket and playing the game in a good spirit (but with a competitive streak!). Here’s to 40 years more! In memory of Phil Paterson Smith MBE, the founder of Barcelona CC (and Madrid CC), who sadly passed away in March this year. Sam Phillipps The first match saw Alex’s Team A play Damien’s Team B. Despite a wicket in the first over, Team B put on a heft 70 runs in their five overs thanks to contributions from Jack and Ravindu. Team A were never quite with it in the chase, finishing 18 runs short. The second match was between Mohsin’s Team C and Umer’s Team D. It was a much lower scoring affair, with D only managing 35/1 despite a solid knock from Jon. Team C completed the chase after just 20 balls, Nial and Shubh ensuring a 5 wicket win. A short break was taken for our biryani and samosa lunch. In Team A’s second match they had more success with the bat, finishing with a respectable 61 runs. Team C were seemingly chasing it down with no trouble, until drama struck in the final over. With just three needed from the final four balls, Alex ran out Nial, attempting a second run, from the deep. Sam bowled both Mohsin and Nick first ball leaving two still needed off the final ball. Shubh edged to stand-in keeper Edward, who dropped it and could only watch the batters scramble the two runs needed! The next group game was much more mundane than the previous hour’s entertainment! Team B scored 55/2 from their five overs, thanks to some lusty blows from Bill (and a good amount of wides). Team D knocked the total off with an over to spare, Umer finishing 44* off just 17 balls. To liven things up, there was another break after this game, as we noticed a fire had broken out in the next field. A helicopter appeared shortly afterwards to nick some water from the swimming pool next door, leaving us to hold our marquees and tents down. When that drama had subsided, we could continue with the tournament. The penultimate game saw Teams B and C face each other. B batted first and it was their captain Damien who scored most of the runs (44/70) in another high scoring contest. He fell short of the only 50 of the day trying to get there in style. C made a real close game of it, majorly helped by 27 (twenty-seven!) extras. Openers Nial (22) and Mohsin (20) were still there at the end but their team finished one run short of what would have been the chase of the day. The last group game was between Team D and Team A, who were desperately looking for a win after heartbreak in their previous game, whilst Team D knew they needed to win for a chance to play the final. In something of a reverse batting order, Sam and Anoushka opened. The two batted the whole innings finishing on 40, Sam surprising the spectators with an out of character 25*. Team D again chased down the total with an over to spare, Umer finishing the game with a four. This meant that three teams had two wins, so a bowl out was arranged to decide the two teams that would progress to the final. With only one player hitting the stumps from each team in the original phase, it went to sudden death. Shubh hit the stumps for the second consecutive time, sending his Team C to the final. Shortly afterwards, Simon too hit the stumps, thus eliminating Team B and setting up a C vs D final. The final was a six-a-side affair, with both teams having lost a player to injury before or during the day. Team C batted first and, despite losing Nial first ball set up a daunting total of 70/3, thanks to runs from Mohsin (24) and Maroof (32*). A shoutout should also go to Nick for his brilliant 0* (off 0 balls) who deservedly walked off raising his bat to the applause of the onlookers. Team D knew they had a challenge on, knowing they were about 10 runs above par. With the top 3 only able to deal in singles, the runrate quickly got away from them and it was clear who was likely to win. Umer hit a quick 27* but it was nowhere near enough and Team C finished as champions, winning the final by 21 runs! Prizes were awarded at the end, with Sam winning bowler of the day and Nial winning batter of the day. Team A were awarded the BICC-branded wooden spoon and Team C their tiny plastic medals that most couldn’t get over their heads (and not just because their ego had risen). We returned to Barcelona on the bus with many heading to Koh-i-Noor for a curry and a Cobra, thanks to our new sponsor. My personal thanks go to everyone on the committee who helped put this together; to Mohsin for organising the new commemorative shirts; to everyone who turned up and made it a great day to remember; and to those who didn’t but have kept the club going over the years, despite all the difficulties. It was a day that showed just what this club is, a multicultural community united by cricket and playing the game in a good spirit (but with a competitive streak!). Here’s to 40 years more! In memory of Phil Paterson Smith, the founder of Barcelona CC (and Madrid CC), who sadly passed away in March this year. Sam Phillipps  The winning team L-R: Nial, Leandro, Mohsin, Maroof (kneeling), Nick, Shubh.  The whole gang (almost) Saturday scorecard
Sunday scorecard Saturday With the disappointment of this year’s Balearic Cup consigned to the history books, social media pages, WhatsApp groups and the Cricket Espana app, Barcelona International made the short trip across from the mainland to provide this weekend’s opposition, stepping in at short notice for BAC XI who unfortunately had to cancel their tour. Skipper Dan Sullivan’s good run with the coin continued, the home side to electing have a bat on an unseasonably warm day at Biniparell and it looked like that decision would be fully justified as opening combo Julian Hagger and Ali Mujahid set about the bowling attack. Hagger, whose runs with the bat was one of the few highlights from the Balearic Cup, continued his recent rich vein of form bringing up his 50 from 44 balls whilst opening partner Ali achieved the same feat from 61 balls, the BICC bowlers wilting in the heat with the 100 partnership coming in just the 17th over, Nawaz, Bhosale, Ejaz, Sheik and Maduranga toiling for no reward. Even the introduction of the skipper himself could do nothing to stem the tide of runs flowing from the MCC batters as they marched to a 200 run partnership without loss in the 31st over until a tired shot from Hagger ballooned in the air for Razi to snaffle, departing for 108 and his third century of the season. Ali soon followed but under his own steam, retiring on 110 leaving Sullivan and the big hitting Pavan Narella to contribute 46 further runs with special mention to Geer Zhao, Menorca’s female representative for this game, who defended stoutly with both bat and body as she picked up her first run for the club and finishing not out. Menorca posting 276 from their 40 overs. Menorca knew they would be in for a game when Cotton’s 3rd ball of his opening over disappeared over the dry stone wall for 6 and despite Wilson picking up Shaikh for 11, the home side couldn’t find the right length to bowl as honorary Barcelonian for the weekend, Peter Lucas and Panabokke plundered 83 from the first 8 overs, Cotton exacting some sort of revenge by clean bowling the latter for 46. Lucas carried on his merry way, ably supported by Maduranga (29) and Razi, who was eventually but superbly caught on the long off boundary by Bill Johnson for 49. Due to the blistering start run rate was rarely an issue for BICC, it was clear that Menorca needed wickets and they were picking them up at regular intervals thanks to some canny bowling from Johnson and Nazim, who accounted for Lucas for an impressive 72, and finish with 3-45. When the 7th wicket fell with the score at 227, the visitors still needed another 50 runs and the home side felt the game was as good as won. Ejaz (21*) and Nawaz (28*) had other ideas as the two lower order batters sent the ball to all parts of the ground to see the visitors complete the run chase from the penultimate ball of the game and win by 2 wickets. Sunday saw the turn of Barcelona to bat first, once again the ground bathed in glorious sunshine amidst barmy May temperatures. A couple of changes to the visiting team saw Sam Phillipps open the batting with Maroof Shaikh but his stint at the crease was shorter than the flight over as Richard Grant had him caught behind for 3 for the first of his two wickets of the afternoon. Menorca bowled with much more control than the previous day and Pavan picked up a further couple courtesy of the umpire’s finger as both Maroof (23) and Dan (0) were trapped LBW. Bhosale was the only BICC batter to register a score of note, before a superb catch off his own bowling from Markus Dow sent him packing for 41 whilst yesterday’s match winning pair of Ejaz and Nawaz continued their good weekend with 29 each before Panabokke coming in at Number 10 found the boundary for 3 maximums in his brisk 39 before Dow had him caught behind for his 2nd wicket of the day. BICC 213 all out - R. Grant 2-32, M. Dow 2-27, P. Narella 2-29. Menorca knew that a solid opening partnership would be key to chasing down the target and you don’t get much more solid than Dan Sullivan and Markus Dow who set about the task with aplomb. The pair rotated strike with ease picking up vital 1’s and 2’s and taking advantage of any bad ball to send it to the boundary line for 4. Razi came into the attack to try and break the opening salvo and did just that when Dow was adjudged to be LBW, 2 runs short of what would have been a well deserved 50. Nazim and Grant both got starts but failed to capitalise reaching 13 and 10 respectively and there was much discussion about who managed to record their 50 first as the huge hitting Narella went toe to toe with the BICC attack as he caught Sullivan up in the scoring stakes. A double bat raise seemed the most apt way to acknowledge their achievements as they passed the 213 required to win by 7 wickets in the 39th over. Dan Sullivan carried his bat for 67* and Pavan accredited with 50*. Razi the only bowler to trouble stand in scorer Goochie with 3-34. The weekend finished with the cricketing spoils shared, a close win to each team in two fantastic games as always played in the best of spirits. Although it was sad not to see BAC XI able to fulfil the fixture, we always look forward to the friendly rivalry we enjoy with Barcelona especially since we broke the losing streak last year! All things being well, Jeff will be back in action next weekend to take over reporting duties once again. Julian Hagger (Menorca CC) |
Archives
March 2022
Categories |
RSS Feed
