Terry Holt took the Cyprus Squad on a three-week journey. He had no preconceptions about the players, bringing fresh eyes to assess each players potential. They were put through draining fitness drills, had their game pulled apart and rebuilt, were forced to re assess their assumptions about themselves as cricketers, and in the end emerged as a leaner meaner and more focused group of players.

Terry brought with him professional and well tried routines, assessing where each bowler was placing his deliveries and helping him find ways to find greater accuracy and consistency. Taking batsmen through game scenarios and helping them find shots that would bring runs in difficult situations. It was a trial that asked a lot from the Cyprus national players, but gave them a lot in return.

On the final Saturday of his stay the Cyprus Squad played a practice game at the UN Ground in Nicosia. The game turned out to be a thriller, decided only in the last over.

The players knew they were under scrutiny for places in the squad and had everything to play for. Warwickshire coach Richard Cox came to play in the game and pass an eye over the Cyprus hopefuls.

Cox opened with Anil in the side to bat first. He saw Anil fall cheaply to Gill and was beginning to build a partnership with no 3 Khan when he was summarily run out by Gills direct hit for a stylish 28. The ensuing partnership between Khan and Dileep, defined the innings. Khan, scoring ugly runs as Richard Cox described them, backed up the elegant Dileep in a partnership worth 90 runs, Dileep taking the lionπs share with 59 and Khan 36.

Cameos from Kashif (27no) and Muhammad (27 no), ruining Mike Kyriacous tight bowling figures plundering 17 from his final over, took their team to 201 after 35 overs. For the bowling side Kapila was the most economical with 19 taken from his six overs, followed by Rubel with 22 from his six overs.

Sawar and Kapila opened for the side batting second, and here the second defining partnership of the match took of with both batsmen set about the bowling with elegance and style. Both batsmen frustrated the fielding side, taking fast singles when they were not hitting boundaries. Finally when Kapila (33) fell to a very good ball from spinner Muhammad, the partnership had been worth 90 runs. Sawar went on to a half century before being caught off Dileep.

Andy Mulkhern (20) and Bhatti (28) kept the innings on track for Nalaga to finish it off with a fiery 18 with four boundaries to take his side to winning 205 from 34.5 overs. Kashif bowled a tight line conceding only 15 runs from his six overs, with Muhammad 24 for from his six.

Terry is returning in July for a practice weekend on July 5 and 6, and again on July 18 and 19 when Cyprus plays a Russian touring side from Moscow, and then again a few weeks before the Div 4 Champs in September.