More inclement weather made it look highly unlikely that this game would go ahead as planned. However as the Ispresi trekked south past Milan the rain eased & on arrival in Rastignano the ground was bathed in warm sunshine. Euratom skipper Kristof Starost lost the toss & Pianoro elected to bowl.

Matthew Price, who had put in some impressive batting performances in the previous year’s outings, opened with his skipper but went into his shell faced with the bowling of Geri & Arif. At the other end Starost gradually started to play some shots as the pressure mounted to score some runs, but even he looked out of nick. Price was finally caught for 4 in the 7^th over with the score on 18. But if Euratom expected their experienced big-hitters to pick up the scoring rate, they were to be sadly disappointed. First Murtaza Abbas Shamsi got a healthy snick through to the keeper off his second ball, followed next ball by Kyle Berry who played inside an in-swinging yorker. ECC looked to be in some trouble but then Bulgarian Peter Marinov, better known for his metronomically straight bowling, steadied the ship & got stuck into the Pianoro second-string bowlers. After playing himself in, he went on to hit a fine 18 to top-score for Ispra. After Kristof Starost fell caught & bowled for a gritty knock of 16, American Michael Grunwald fell first ball in his first game of cricket & didn’t get a chance to show his hard-hitting baseball skills. But his replacement Harry Starost again showed the skill & determination which may belie his age but which informed spectators now come to expect of him. Quick running & some solid stroke-play brought him 7 runs in a last wicket stand with Marinov that took the Euratom total, including 22 extras, to 67 runs for 5 wickets. Gareth Berry didn’t get to bat.

 The ominous rumbles that had been heard all afternoon from over Sasso Marconi now turned to a light rain which was to soak the players throughout the Pianoro innings. With such a small total to defend & guessing that Pianoro were batting with a long tail, the Euratom skipper decided to risk opening with his unpredictable strike-bowler Shamsi. But the gamble didn’t come off & five wides in as many deliveries just gave the opposition a dream start. From the other end Kristof Starost bowled his heart out in an attempt to retrieve the situation.  In his first over he bowled Fernando, in his second he trapped Geri L.B.W. & in his third he bowled Trombelli, all for ducks. Peter Marinov then bowled a steady three overs for 22 & Harry Starost’s excellent two overs produced one wicket for 4 runs. Kyle Berry also chipped in to take Scarani’s off-stump with a nice balls which floated & turned. In fact Scarani’s 1 run was the only Pianoro contribution off the bat apart from Arif’s well-hit 37.  Behind the stumps for Euratom Matthew Price kept well again, conceding only two byes. But the 30 wides & a no-ball were to be E.C.C.s downfall & Pianoro eased to victory with 3 overs & 2 wickets to spare.

Result.  ECC   67 for 5    /  Pianoro   71 for 5

             Pianoro win by 2 wickets