Cyprus v Malta at Corfu – European Championship Division Two Twenty20 (11th place play-off) – Match Update
The 11th place play-off of the European Championship Division Two Twenty20, played in Corfu, saw Malta finishing at number 12, as Cyprus, aided by Dineja Agathocleous’ 5-wicket haul and Muhammad Mohsin’s brilliant all-round contribution, breezed to a 10-wicket
win and claimed 11th place at the Marina Ground on September 8.
Malta won the toss and elected to bat first, but Agathocleous (4-0-12-5) and Mohsin (3.1-0-16-4) ensured that none of the batsmen were allowed to stay at the crease for long.
Nowell Khosla (26) and Justin Brooke (16) opened the innings for Malta, but their partnership did not proceed beyond 18 runs, with Brooke caught out by Andrew Mulkern off Michalis Kyriacou. His successor http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Michael-Paul-Vaughan-c76145 Spiteri (8) teamed up with Khosla for a 32-run
stand, which got Malta up to 50 before Agathocleous intervened to take both batsmen out of the game.
From there onwards, none of the batsmen were able to rise above single-digit individual scores. Derek Ali (8) and George Agius (6) were sent back to the pavilion in quick succession, and their departure was followed by a slew of dismissals.
Skipper Andrew Naudi (2), Ronald Sacco (7), Samuel Aquilina (0), Mark Sacco (0), and wicketkeeper batsman Jonh Grima (6) all crumbled without putting up much of a fight, and Malta eventually posted a meagre total of 96, all out, by the 19th over.
Cyprus, in comparison, barely stumbled as they breezed through the 97-run chase, getting to the target within 12 overs, with the opening batsmen still standing.
Skipper Kyriacou (35*) and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mohsin-c77587 (58* off 35) opened the innings for their side, and applied themselves resiliently to the crease. Kyriacou smashed 3 boundaries, while Mohsin hit 2 sixes and 8 fours.
Malta’s bowling attack was unable to make any dents in the opening partnership, with bowlers bleeding precious runs – Ronald Sacco remained the most expensive, conceding 26 runs in just 2 overs (with an economy rate of 13.00), while Brooke gave away 17 in
2.
By the 12th over, Cyprus safely reached 97, with 10 wickets and 52 balls still remaining, claiming 11th place in the recently concluded tournament, while Malta finished last.
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