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Cricket: Visitors from Sheffield lose their first match.

Holmesfield CC from Sheffield played their first of two matches on the Rock on Tuesday at the Europa Oval and found the local GCA selection too hot to handle. An undefeated century from Christian Rocca and an aggressive 72 from David Young, backed up by an unbeaten 67 from Chris Phillips posted a total which in the end proved too high a mountain for the visitors to climb though they certainly did not give up without a fight.

GCA run rampage.

GCA won the toss, opted to bat first and Rocca and Young proceeded to take their toll of some moderate bowing, the hundred coming up in only the twelfth over. The total had raced to 133 when Young skied one to long off where Jim Pearson took a good catch; Young’s 72 had been scored of just 42 balls and included six fours and four sixes. GCA lost the wicket of Kieron Ferrary soon afterwards and at the twenty overs stage the total had progressed to 180/2. Rocca retired on reaching his hundred and Ross Harkins departed for 21 but by the then the total had passed the two hundred mark, and there was to be no respite for the tiring Holmesfield bowlers as Phillips and Kabir Mirpuri (35 not out) added a further 103 runs before the allotted forty overs were up.

Holmesfield lost two early wickets after which Neil Pearson and Oliver Rossington fought back with a third wicket stand of 82 before the former mistimed a ball from Mirpuri to give Harkins a simple chance at cover; the batsman had contributed 31 runs. Rossington went on to reach 74 before he, too, was dismissed, and there was little resistance to follow as the side was dismissed for 160 to give the locals victory by 153 runs. For the GCA XI Gareth Balban returned figures of 3/8. Mirpuri took 2/28 and Kayne Peliza 2/7.

Holmesfield return to the Rock on Thursday and will no doubt be hoping for better fortunes!

TJF.

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