La Manga and Torrevieja Cricket Club XI (LMTCC) played San Javier XI in a T20 double-header friendly with the spoils shared, taking a game win apiece.
San Javier took the honours in the final over of the first game with LMTCC winning on the final ball in game two.
In game one LMTCC posted a competitive 144 with 74* from Ravi Panchal, Tommy Knowles (18), Connor Wood (12) and Theo Rumi (9*).
Energetic fielding and early wickets from Theo and Akash Panchal saw the San Javier chase start slowly, picking up in the middle overs when a San Javier batsmen started finding the middle of his bat – and the car park!
Tommy Knowles took a catch off the bowling of Paul Fletcher, prompting a mini-collapse and left San Javier chasing the unlikely target of 40 from the last three overs, with only three wickets in hand.
Loose bowling and clean hitting down the order saw the game slip away from LMTCC, with San Javier chasing down the target off the first ball of the last over.
In game two LMTCC bowled first and were up against it from the off, the outfield had quickened up a bit and the San Javier batsmen had their eyes in.
The run-rate was always up around 8 an over and above, but LMTCC stuck at the task and chipped away with wickets at regular intervals to keep dragging the game back. Connor Wood (4-26) was the pick of the bowlers as San Javier posted an above par 173.
In reply, LMTCC got off to a flyer with Adam Alger (46) and Akash Panchal (58) taking the game to the San Javier bowlers putting them ahead of the required run-rate.
Both openers fell during a spectacular batting collapse and LMTCC found themselves reduced to 130-5, requiring a tricky 40 runs off 36 balls. What followed was one of the greatest partnerships in LMTCC’s short history.
A blend of youth and experience saw them over the line with Connor Wood scoring a quickfire 31*, ably supported by a rock solid 9* from Stefan Rumi.
The pair ran well between the wickets, hit the bad balls and kept LMTCC in the game, until the last ball.
With three runs needed to win, Spain 2018 World Cup qualifying player, Academy u17 and 19s and Spanish Select u25 player Connor Wood showed he is the man for the big occasion and dispatched the bowler for six to the longest boundary!
“All in all, it was a great day of cricket. Thanks to San Javier for playing the games in the right spirit, to Alan for setting up the ground/scoring and to Gordon Ashford for umpiring. Plenty of positives to take and plenty of things to work on in training,” said LMTCCs Kieran Wood.
Caption: LMTCC’s Connor Wood: Big occasion player.
