On Saturday the first cricket game for the year was played between the Malta Selection and the Combined team which was the third of the series.

The Combined team won the toss and elected to bat. Tim Wheeler and Andy Lenard opened the batting.

Wheeler was first to go and was trapped LBW for two runs after an impressive two overs from Nowell Khosla. Lenard went on to top score with 46 runs including three fours and one six.

Derek Ali was next equal top score with extras with 45 runs. Ali, though, scored four fours and two sixes. These were the main scorers for the Combined team, only Bikram Arora (15) and Phil Gibbs (12) made it to double figures.

An incredible spell of bowling from Ronnie Sacco and Joy Ghoseroy who bowled 16 overs between them took three wickets and only 49 runs were taken off them. Keep in mind they are both spin bowlers.

Mike Caruana chipped in with two wickets for the Malta Selection while Kevin Krishna took one. The Combined team totalled 180 runs.

In reply the Malta Selection started very poorly losing three quick wickets, all scoring zero runs.

Nowell Khosla who opened the batting top scored with 56 runs. Frank Spiteri put on a patient 28 runs which included three fours: he was caught on the boundary trying to hit a six.

John Grima scored 18. The game came to the last over with Mike Caruana (35) and Ronnie Sacco (18) with the Malta team needing 12 runs to win.

Come the last ball, three runs were needed with Sacco facing who hit the ball over the bowlers head and the batsmen only managed to make two runs and therefore the game ended in a tie -180 runs each.

Bikram Arora was the main wicket taker with two while Andy Naudi, Malcolm Crabbe,Derek Ali and Andy Lenard all took a wicket each.

Next Saturday sees the first game of the third round of the MCA Winter League between Melita Betfair and Krishna.

The academy/nursery will be from 9am till 10.30am.