MAL finished their 2010 season in style with a win off the final ball against South Loughton CC at Old Camdenians on Sunday.
On a blustery rainy day, it was probably only due to the fact that it was the final day of the season that the game was completed at all.
South Loughton won the toss and chose to bat, and were quickly in trouble, as Anthony Cowan found some early swing to bowl Battle for 1 and Shearer for 0, leaving the score at 7-2.
Mark Lazar was also bowling well with scant reward. The third wicket fell from his bowling, Avi Gelley failing to hold on to a catch at midwicket, but being sharp enough to pick the ball up and throw the stumps down at the striker's end. Sohata and Jones too the score to 70-3 before Grant Traub found some spin to bowl Jones for 23, and youngster Hill for 1. Chowdery then skied one to cover where Yanky Baddiel claimed the catch.
After finishing his spell, Traub then took over behind the stumps, but his replacement Leslie Allweis also picked up an early wicket, Mark Landau holding a sharp catch at extra cover. The last three wickets provided some late order resistance adding 100 runs in 15 overs, as some generous bowling allowed South Loughton to set a respectable target.
There was time for Yitzy Hill and Kussi Gelley to pick up their first wickets for the club, Gelley bowling Sahota for 10, and Hill trapping Jones LBW for 5. South Loughton's total of 174 looked to be a competitive one.
Landau and Avi Gelley opened the batting for MAL. Landau started well and moved to 21 off 27 balls before being bowled by Chowdhery for 21. Gelley struggled early on to find the gaps, but offered valuable support to Ian Salter as MAL moved the scoreboard along. The partnership was worth 103 with both players stroking nice boundaries, before Gelley was caught at mid off for his highest MAL score of 40, from 81 balls.
Lazar joined Salter with 42 needed from 7.2 overs, and despite the odd play and miss, the batsmen looked in control, Salter striking the last ball through midwicket for 4, to finish on a fantastic 86 not out from 60 balls, with Lazar unbeaten on 20 from 22 balls.
A fantastic end to a fantastic season for MAL, finishing with 16 wins.
South Loughton CC 174-9 (35 overs) Sohata 83*, Traub 3-7, Cowan 2-11
MAL 178-2 (35 overs) Salter 86*, Gelley 40, Landau 21, Lazar 20*
MAL won by 8 wickets
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