Beechwood Cricket Club's 3rd tour of Malta and success (at last!)
7530, that was the room number of Mark Gibbons whom, on each occasion of our departure for the Marsa Sports Club, was said to say 'I'm on my way, give me 5 minutes' when I rang him from hotel reception, disturbing him from his sweet dreams, before our 10am departure to the cricket ground. That was the only room number I knew, apart from my own!
Treve Brown and Mark Gibbons prepare for the first game.
Anyway, Beechwood went 'up-market' this year with their choice of accommodation staying at the Corinthia Marina hotel in St. George's Bay. The facilities, including indoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and massage parlours (not that type of massage - as far as I know) suiting the fine athletes in our squad!
New boy-band sensation The Sauna Boyz were doomed from the start...
Arriving late Tuesday evening the team were a little tired and ill-prepared for our first game at 11.00am the following day. Fordcombe, who we had played on our last game of the English summer, were to be our opponents, a new experience for them whilst we were seasoned campaigners on Maltese ground.
On arrival at the ground it was most pleasant to meet up with our friend Wally Glynn who, once again, helped with the organisation of the day and the umpiring which, when you are on tour is not always a duty that you wish to do.
Wally Glynn was never adverse to taking his time over a decision.
Here he is giving Steve Cooksley out LBW two hours after the match had finished.
Being put into bat, Beechwood amassed their highest score on the island (later to be beaten), 265 for 7 with an opening stand of 202 by Massey (142) and Freeman (38) which was followed by decent contribution of 24 n.o.by Gibbons. After our pizzas for lunch Fordcombe succumbed to the fine opening spells from Hill (4 for 28) and Rogers (1 for 25 off 8 overs). That set the seal on the innings as Cooksley (2 for 15) and Cooke (2 for 8) together with Gibbons taking 2 catches and a direct hit run out, Fordcombe were all out in 26 overs for 80 runs with Medhurst (19) the only notable contribution to the total. Our first ever victory on the island. The only sad event was that our Club Captain Dean Kelly broke his finger whilst keeping and his tour on the cricket field was over.
The shy, retiring Simon Massey admires Freeman's score of 38, whilst Dean Kelly shows his apalling injuries.
With back to back games, a few of us were rested for our first match with Marsa.
Stand-in Captain Ashley Woodward won the toss and elected to bat. On an eventful innings both umpires, Messrs Matthew French and Wally were kept extremely busy with the threat of 5 penalty runs being banded about! After things settled down Massey (75), Brown (34), and Rogers (19) helped BCC amass a rather smaller total of 211 all out, which was not too bad an effort. A partnership of 50 between Herd (14) and Massey steadied the innings after a mini collapse had put a respectable score in some doubt. However, from past experience gained this was an achievable target for Marsa.
Cllr Matthew French lays down the law to Marsa skipper, "McAussie" John Callus, threatening him with deportation, much to the amusement and bemusement of the Beechwood onlookers.
However things turned out swimmingly for the Beechwood boys and with Rogers taking the early wicket of Angelo Spiteri our tails were up. At 47 for 1 and with wides being bowled by the bucket full (33 in total! - not all bowled by Gibbons - so our scorer tells me!) a close game looked in store but all of a sudden wickets fell in dramatic style with Frank Spiteri, who vanquished us on our first tour, falling for 23 off the well-deserving bowling of Ian McCrea. The only other resistance came form John Callus scoring a rapid 25 in a vain effort to retrieve the situation. Marsa were finally bowled out for 105 in 28 overs with Colin 'Bargain Hunt' Robinson (lovely hair!) taking the winning catch. Cooksley (4 for 17), with Rogers and Woodward taking 2 wickets were the mainstay of our bowling.
Friday was a rest day and the heavens opened up leaving our Saturday match with Marsa in a little doubt, especially as it rained Saturday morning. Anyway, on arrival at the ground Wally went in search of the 'Whale', (reminds me of some of our players!); Wally returned with 3 large paint-type rollers and we began to assist Marsa in clearing away the water from the pitch. This operation was ably led by Wally and 'Bargain Hunt' acting as chief of operations!
Bobby demonstrating superior mopping technique over Wally and Tony.
The match was delayed by 1 hour but 40 overs were agreed by the captains so off we went, winning the toss and batting in wet conditions.
This time Brown (25) and Massey (26) led the way in a more pedestrian manner due to the difficult conditions. With 145 on the board and 2 overs remaining we were hoping to reach 160. However Gibbons (53no) then released an assault on the bowling with Rogers making him run two 4's in succession (oxygen was called for) which took our total to 176, a good effort considering the damp conditions.
Lunch was taken halfway through our innings so we had a 10-minute turn around before we went into the field. Rogers and McCrea kept a tight lid on things after a quick start by Angelo Spiteri before Hill took his vital wicket, with some assistance of the tennis players walking behind the bowler's arm at the vital moment. Mike Carruana (59), the captain of Marsa then watched wickets fall at regular intervals before he started piecing the innings back together. With 2 overs remaining 38 were needed but the heroics of the first innings were not repeated by Marsa and they fell some 25 runs short of the Beechwood total. An amazing feat of played 3 won 3. Hill, Rogers and Gibbons each shared 2 wickets apiece.
Before we retired to the bar, a few well deserved awards were handed out; to Wally for his umpiring and general help and for his good company, to our Umpire Mathew French who certainly earned his keep, to our scoring double act of Kelly and Woodward senior (Larry) who without doubt did a tremendous job. Larry's appetite for scoring was marginally less than at the breakfast buffet table where we were all well fed and watered before the tiring day ahead! Marsa were presented with a trophy as a momento of our 3rd tour of the island, which was well-received by Mike Carruana.
Beechwood scorer Ron Kelly makes some last-minute alterations whilst Larry "the numbers" Woodward waits to pounce
Sunday became a rest day, although the Maltese Cup (Golf at Marsa), for the second year in succession was won by Hill and Freeman with Kelly and Cooksley coming a distant second in the rankings. Second out of two I should say. The Bandits, as Freeman was reminded of last year's handicap, enjoyed the day.
On the first tee in the annual Maltese Cup, the match was still finely balanced..
An extra game was arranged for Beechwood to play Fordcombe on the Monday, so with most of our entourage we again set off to Marsa. Kindly, Marsa assisted us with the loan of two players, Kevin and Ernie. Our Australian Treve Brown skippered the team for the day and elected to bat on the bright and sunny day. Opening with Mark Gibbons both club records and ground records were smashed. Treve hit an amazing 196 (an individual, club and ground record) striking the ball cleanly and far and wide. Mark his partner (not that type, so far as I know) ably assisted in hitting 84 although a ton for him would have been more deserving. At one point Wally had come out of the pavilion with the 'very last spare ball' warning Treve of the dire consequenses if he lost this one as well! The opening partnership of 291 (a club record and ground record I think) will take some beating leaving BCC 309 for 4 as a flurry of wickets fell shortly before the innings closed.
You would have thought that that was that but after losing two quick wickets, Keeler (81) and Perry (Rainbow Trout) (53) took the attack to Beechwood's bowlers putting on 155 for the 3rd wicket. At one stage they reduced the chase from 12 to 10 and over and kept pace for a while thereafter. However, wickets eventually fell with quick runs the premium and at stumps Fordcombe totalled 241 for 5 with McCulloch 25 and Oliver 39 the not out batsmen. It was a fine effort on their part (a combined total of 550 runs, a ground record for 40 over matches).
Beechwood's Barmy Army engrossed in the action
Unbelievably, we had won all our games but beyond anything else we had again enjoyed our short stay on the island and the company of the Marsa players and Co.
Pierre Naudi popped in to present us with some awards and a few nice words were said which were well received by both teams. Speaking on behalf of Beechwood Cricket Club, it was nice to be thanked earlier by Gordon Hewitt who complimented our team and supporters for being such good tourists, we can't ask for more than that.
"Thank god it's all over..."
It has been a pleasure to tour Malta over the last 3 years for such a small club like Beechwood who, from week to week manage to get out teams to play our Sunday cricket with such a small squad of players. It is always nice to see old players return to the side to join us on our tour and guest players fit in so well with the team and supporters both on and off the field. A good effort all round.
Tuesday was a 'Chill-Out' day for all of us and well deserved. The hotel facilities were used to the full before a late and last drink up the road before our coach picked us up.
I forgot to mention the drinking exploits of Brown, Gibbons and Rogers who managed to do the 24-hour shift before retiring to bed on the Sunday morning. Mark had his first breakfast of the tour that morning, enough said!
Graham Rogers and the Kellys looking quite sober, which proves the camera can lie
Finally, everyone has their own 'Champagne Moments' of the tour but I would like to give you mine.
The first was Treve walking down the pitch towards the bowler like having a Sunday afternoon stroll before sending the ball back from where it came and way beyond and the second, when Steve Cooksley took the wicket of John Callus of Marsa on the Thursday, thus sealing our first victory over them. The team all knew the victory was ours and the team celebrations were a great sight and well deserved.
A top time had by all.
Tony Freeman
Secretary
Beechwood Cricket Club
Tour Batting Averages
Tour Bowling Averages
2003 Results
