The Malta Tour

This year's Malta Cricket Festival at the Marsa Sports Club, will undoubtedly be the finest ever. For, not only is the triangular Malta-UK-Switzerland tournament to be held, but for the first time ever, we are to play host to the MCC. The inaugural visit of the Marylebone Cricket Club, will be the high point in the Malta Cricket Association's year... any year! The MCC is to cricket what Manchester United is to football... and more. The prospect of playing against this great cricket institution is already whetting the appetites of Malta's cricketers.

The past few years have seen big changes in Malta cricket, where the administration of the game has been passed over from the expatriates to the younger and very able Maltese. This change can only be to the advantage of the future of cricket in Malta.

The new all-Maltese committee has,in the few months that it has been in existence, already been responsible for bringing over one of the top MCC coaches, Rodney Cass. Indeed, it is he who will be leading the MCC side in Malta. Also, through the work of the MCA's UK representative, Mark Lawsor, a brand new all-weather pitch has been obtained, free of charge, from the MCC - all of which Malta Cricket is extremely grateful. The teams participating in the international triangular tournament for "The NTOM Trophy" include Bern Cricket Club from Switzerland, Arden Taverners from South Warwickshire in England, and the local Marsa Sports Cricket Club. The Festival began in early September, and our first visitors were Tredogar Cavaliers CC from South Wales; followed by HMS York The Festival will run until the end of October, when other guest teams will include Sway CC from the New Forest near Southampton in the South of England, British Airways CC based in London, and our old friends The Fiddlers CC from The Midlands. But this is just the seniors. The renaissance of cricket in Malta extends into the schools, where a brand-new"Kwik-Cricket." game is soon to be inaugurated. The future of the game here has never looked rosier.

First Match
Tuesday, September 24,1996
SWAY spun out.

Sway Cricket Club's opening game against Marsa Sports Club was for 45 overs with a 9 over bowling limit. Sway were exposed to spin bowling with variations in flight and length which took nine of their wickets. MSC won the toss and asked Sway to bat first, getting them all out in 33.4 overs, their top' scorers being Yates with 24 and Forbes with 20. Caruana, Spiteri and W. Glynn each took 3 wickets and Micallef 1.

Sway produced 6 good bowlers, and openers Grima and E. Glynn managed only 16 runs off the first 70 balls from Osborne and Forbes. Grima played himself in and was 44 not out off 90 balls. Spiteri was more prolific, making 30 off 25 balls before being run out. Calamity struck with Micallef and Caruana each out first ball to Gooding. Then Anastasi removed C. Naudi for 0. When Riley hit 13 off 7 balls MSC won by 5 wickets in 30.2 overs. Gooding took 2 for 7 in 4 overs, and Yates and Amstel each took a wicket.

SCOREBOARD

MSC won by 5 Wickets
Man of the Match: A. Spiteri
Umpires: I Michael and Players
Scorers: Players

Second Match
Wednesday, September 25,1996
Another Marsa Sports Club win

Having won the toss for this 50 over Saturday match against Sway CC, Caruana put Marsa Sports Club in to bat first. At the end of 50 overs they were 244 for six. Once again the Sway bowlers were a real challenge, though it seems they found the heat a bit trying.

Nevertheless, they dismissed MSC's leading batsmen for an average of 33 runs each, Grima being top scorer with 59. Once again, their most successful bowlers were Gooding, Forbes, and Rendell-Turner.
In reply, Wilkie, captain and opening bat, after facing 23 balls, was caught by Caruana off Spiteri. Gannoway and Forbes faced 59 and 41 balls respectively. Gannoway, on 23, was bowled lbw by Non, and Forbes, on 35, fell to a brilliant dive-catch by Caruana at mid-on.
After that, only Osborne, 18, and wicket-keeper Gunn, 39 not out, offered any resistance. Non took three for 18, Caruana two for seven, W. Glynn two for 21, and one each went to Spiteri, Johnson, and E. Glynn. With 5.7 over to go, Sway were all out to lose by 88 runs.

SCOREBOARD

MSC won by 88 Runs
Man of the Match: For MSC J. Grima; for Sway, D Forbes
Umpires: D. Kent-Watson and I. Michael
Scorers: A and C. Naudi

Third Match
Friday, September 27,1996
MSC hold Sway

Sunday's 40 over match gave Marsa Sports Club a comfortable treble over the visitors from Hampshire.

Sway CC, batting first, started slowly and at the halfway stage had scored only 62 runs for the loss of their first three wickets but they were contained by tight bowling from then on and lost the last six wickets for the addition of 82.

Batsmen Forbes (45), Gannaway (27) and Captain Wilkie (14) in the middle order were the most successful but the tailend failed to wag and a target of 144 was always within the sights of the MSC for whom Micallef took three for 25 and Zammit two for 27.

The home side started like a runaway train with 39 on the board before the first wicket (Dixon for seven) fell after seven overs.

Spiteri, who went on to make 66 not out, was joined by his captain Caruana and they put on 93 before Caruana fell for 49 leaving Micallef to take 12 off four balls to leave MSC winners by eight wickets with 12 overs to spare.

Forbes, the Sway opening bowler, who had bowled aggressively and very economically in each of the three games, took both of the wickets for only 16 runs in seven overs and was made Man of the Series.

SCOREBOARD

MSC won by 8 Wickets
Man of the Match: D Forbes
Man of the Series: D Forbes
Umpires: I. Michael and J Tobias
Scorers: C. Naudi and D. Bradley