After last minute difficulties with pitch availability, the nice ground at Cadrezzate was eventually procured in extremis. Although the boundaries were a little short, the surface was smoother than Taino & played better. The Salix team had arrived the previous day & the ploy of inviting them to dinner, followed by a night’s “clubbing” (Euratom keeper Rhys Berry mentioned in dispatches for his sacrifice) was to pay dividends during the game.  Whilst the more senior Salix members seemed to have arrived in Ispra already half crocked, Rhys’ noble efforts put paid to the rest of them.

Salix skipper Michael Ellis won the toss & chose to bat first. Although Dyson looked quite steady, Fletcher at the other end was obviously a sacrificial opener & struggled to cope with both Sumith Katunayakage & Steve Fowler, who soon had him caught for a duck. Fowler bowled well on his Euratom debut, suffering only rather perversely after a ten-year lay-off not from the more normal  “shrinking whites” syndrome but rather the fact that his flannels slid gracefully to his knees halfway through each run-up. With the score on 24 he bowled Rayner for 4, finishing with very respectable figures of 4 overs, two for 13.

Saliix looked to be struggling a bit but then Hewitt joined Dyson at the crease & the pair put on another 27 before the opener fell to Sathiya Dasarathan for 18. Hewitt continued to defy the ECC bowlers & with the competent Shaw put on another 50 before perhaps unwisely retiring unbeaten on 53. When Shaw was bowled by Nimantha Nanayakarra for 30, the Salix resistance started to crumble. For the Ispresi new Aussie recruit Gabriel Rowland bowled a rusty but promising 4 overs for 32, while club President Graham Starost made a welcome return to the fray after serious injury with 4 overs for 26.  Young Stephen Starost, in his first full season in senior cricket, bowled well for Heaton’s wicket & when Nanayakkarra bowled Darling & Katunayage had Ellis caught for just 3, the writing was on the wall for the Londoners.  Stevens & Madhu held out for the 35 overs but the Salix total of 126 looked difficult to defend on a small pitch.

In the absence his usual partners, Tony Sample asked Dai Berry to open with him. In the face of some surprisingly docile bowling from Jacobs, the pair looked comfortable & the Euratom captain soon cracked him over cover for 6. The opposition exchanged worried glances but then Sample played early to a ball that held up off the mat, scooping it gently into Rayner’s waiting hands.  Berry then got stuck into the anchorman role for which he had been known in years gone by, content to pick up the odd run while Nimantha Nananayakkara  blasted  a cameo 27 at the other end. But the bulky Berry frame was no longer used to batting protracted innings (sic!) & in the 8th over with the score on 61 he pitched head first into the mat with what remained of his Achilles tendon wriggling beside him. Salix sportingly disdained from running him out & a team of bearers was called to haul the prostrate Welshman from the pitch. But the Salix joy at Berry’s departure turned to misery as his replacement, Sumith Katunayakage, immediately started dispatching the ball to all parts.  With the introduction of Madhu’s somewhat unpredictable spin, Nanayakarra eventually miss-hit to be caught by Ellis in the deep. But Sathiya Dasarathan immediately took up where he had left off. The Indian was bowled by Fletcher just 5 runs short of the total leaving Gabriel Rowland to knock off the winning runs in the 28th over. Sumith Katunayakage was left not out on 70.

 Euratom won by 7 wickets with plenty of overs to spare – a pleasing performance all round & most especially from new recruits Steve Fowler & Gabriel Rowland & from Academy graduate Stephen Starost.

Match Awards: It was a good team performance & all the Ispresi chipped in with useful contributions. However the Man of the Match award must go to Sumith Katunayakage for his invaluable 70 not out & the scalp of Salix skipper Michael Ellis. In the absence of any howlers or ducks both the Golden Banana & Mario Mallard were left unclaimed.