Euratom were asked to bat first by “the auld enemy” in this inaugural game at the ICG. A strong sun was mitigated by occasional puffs of wind & although the outfield could have done with a trim, the strip itself was testimony to the groundsman’s hours of selfless toil.

Tony Sample still looked out of touch with the bat & the fast if unpredictable Vipul bowled him with the last ball of his first over when he played along the wrong line. From the other end Kumar was audibly delighted (“ just like the sub-continent”!) at the spin he was getting off the pitch & he tied up his end for the next 7 overs for only 7 runs. In his 4th over the normally dangerous Sumith Katunayake was  bowled cheaply by an off-break which turned a long way, then in his next over he had Paul Voizey caught just as he was looking settled on 11. Dai Berry then hooked a couple of bouncers from Vipul & looked promising only to fall to a stunning ankle-high catch by Abdul off  the last ball of Kumar’s spell.

At 35 for 4 off 14 overs Euratom were down but certainly not out with a rich array of batting talent still in the hutch. Prabodha Liyanage then batted steadily but seemed to get twitchy about being bogged down. His block & run technique finally proved too much for Shamith Mudalige who was easily run out by a good throw. When Liyanage was bowled at last by a fast top-spinner from Shanta, his nervy running seemed to have infected  Sathya Dasarathan as well. Soon the young Indian launched Nana Tawiah on a suicide run, only for the Ghanaian to fall well short & pull his hamstring in the process. Bill Speed managed 7 before he was caught by Chris Morgan off Romell,  but then Rhys Berry became another victim of the run-out epidemic, injuring his knee in a futile dive for the crease. Last man Graham Starost gave it a couple of healthy whacks before Dasarathan was finally caught for 18 by Miles Kirchin off Chris Morgan in what was the best knock of the innings. Euratom closed on 93 after 31 overs,  not a large total but one which looked as though it might be defendable on a square      that was hard to score off. On the other hand, Euratom’s bowling attack had already looked a bit thin on the ground at the start of the game & now two of its second-string bowlers had taken themselves out of the running with injuries.

 After tea Milan skipper Ross Gower generously provided a substitute fielder in the circumstances & Miles Kirchin & Chris Morgan took the crease ready to whittle down the score. But Sumith Katunayake steamed in from the Railway end & soon had Kirchin in trouble, first a leading edge flying harmlessly into space,  closely followed by another which landed safely in Dai Berry’s hands. Milan struggled to 11 runs off the first 6 overs from Katunayake & Dasarathan, then Graham Starost had Chris Morgan LBW off his first ball, with Gower pulling straight into square-leg’s hands two balls later. When Vipul chipped the ball into Berry’s hands off the first ball of Dasarathan’s next over, it really looked as though Euratom might be in with a chance of saving the game. Now bowling from the Brebbia end, Katunayake added to the Milan misery by bowling Abdul for just 1, but then big-hitter Shanta came to the crease with the experienced David Sweetman as his anchor-man. Shanta hit consistently across the line of Graham Starost’s bowling & was to survive a few shouts  before he did miss one that was bang in front in his knock of 37. An indignant Romell was then convinced that he was “ a long way outside his crease & way outside leg stump” (sounds familiar !) for his LBW off Dasarathan, but then the steady Kumar came in to help Sweetman edge towards the total. With Euratom fast running out of bowlers life was getting rapidly easier for Milan &, although Berry & Liyanage bowled a few decent overs between them, by the time Tony Sample threw himself the ball he only had 3 runs to play with. A quick two to David Sweetman & a couple of wides was enough to wrap up this game for Milan with 8 overs & a couple of batsmen to spare.

  MOM:  Graham Starost, Sumith Katunayake & Sathya Dasarathan were certainly all contenders for their bowling performances but Sathya just edges the MOM for his batting contribution.  Shamith Mudalige, Nana Tawiah & Rhys Berry share the Golden Banana for needless run-outs & Mario Mallard alighted briefly in Tony Sample’s hands before winging it on to Nana Tawiah.  Monty Ramsbottom was noticeable by his absence – apparently he is resting at the President’s house.

 Thanks go to Phil & Janice Cake for turning up to do the teas

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