After winning a rare toss, BECC skipper Adam Jacobs elected to bat on a slow wicket with a Lord's-esque slope. Mayer and Steven Altmann-Richer set about their work with applom. Mayer was finding the boundary with ease, noted by SAR who duly accumulated singles to keep the in-form Mayer on strike.
At the fall of the first wicket (SAR, cb - Norman), Belmont were 43-1 off just eight overs. Jacobs joined Mayer at the crease and accumulated steadily, though he found it difficult to time the ball throughout his innings owing to the sticky conditions. After a succession of boundaries, Jacobs pulled across the line too early on a ball from Ronak, toe-ending it to mid on.
Scott Gerard and Mayer then proceeded to take apart the Southlands bowling attack, and depleted their spare ball stock in-so-doing due to the number of sixes flying off Gerard's bat. Mayer finished on an impressive 99 not out off 92 balls, agonisingly short of his fourth Belmont century. Gerard for his part finished on 52 not out, though I'm sure he was hoping to finish on 69 later.
The TMCC innings started in extraordinary fashion. Jonny Eintracht took two wickets with the first two balls of the match. Weintraub and Durban rebuilt before the former was dismissed, bowled by Eintracht again! Durban played impressively, picking the gaps on the offside to accumulate singles and boundaries. He reached his 50 before being caught behind off "golden-arm" Tilley.
Kaplan bowled splendidly, for his figures of 5 overs 1-17, with overseas semi-pro Halstead as his one scalp. Apparently 11 runs and no wickets is what £20 a match costs you. Morris was brought on and bowled nicely, which was not reflected in his figures which were inflated due to a number of streaky edges through third man and a farcicle number of misfields and overthrows.
Curiously, from drinks, the Belmont field spread despite the batting side needing only 7.5 an over. They accumulated steadily and sealed their victory with 1.5 overs to spare.
A BECC spokesman said: "This was a match that we really ought to have won and were sorely disappointed not to. Better luck next week, though I'm certain that luck had not very much to do with things this week."
