Russia has a cricket league of six teams all based around Moscow. Like most of the new cricketing playing countries the momentum for the game is driven by expatriates from cricket playing nations who bring the game with them to their new countries.

The visiting Moscovite side with one single exception learned the game growing up in India. The one exception was a Russian national who bravely patrolled the offside boundary.

The visiting side are used to playing their cricket in temperatures in the mid twenties,. Faced with high thirties, fielding first and exposed directly to the sun, the Moscovites visibly wilted.

Opening for Cyprus, Muhammad found an ideal foil in partner Andy Mulkhern, as he blasted his way to his highest score. Andy patiently farmed the strike to Muhammad as Muhammad set about the already wilting and now shell shocked Muscovites, in a brutal dismantling of their bowling attack.

 

Muhammad en route to 114 no

The pair gracefully retired with the score over 150, Andy on 25 and Muhammad on 113, an innings of 11 sixes, 6 fours and never really looking in any danger at any time of losing his wicket.

The replacing batsmen thought that there were easy pickings here and tried to follow Muhammads example, only to fall cheaply, Manju caught on 25, Dari run out on 15 and Marcus bowled without scoring. A revival from the lower order, Niroshan (28) Rubel (26) and captain Mike K (39) gave Cyprus an unassailable 300 runs for 6 wickets after their 50 overs.

 

Mike comes back into form

 

Bowling figures for Moscow CC were pretty depressing, with only Raj and Nadeem emerging with figures they might want to repeat, with 29 taken off Raj 8 overs and 34 from Nadeems 10.

Cyprus coach Terry Holt who had flown out from the UK to steer the Cyprus team through the two games, was reasonably content with the application of the Cyprus batsmen, reaching targets for runs per over through the innings.

 

Terry directs play

Now the task was to dismiss the Muscovites without giving them the slightest chance of recovery.  And this the bowlers did, with wickets spread evenly amoung them, dismissing the tourists for 51 runs.

 

Kashif clears the fence

 

The next day, players badly affected by the efforts of the previous day, it was agreed to play a twenty over game. Cyprus had brought their strongest team for this game, close as possible to the team to play in the championships. Batting first, the temptation was for the Cyprus batsmen to showboat, but Terry had made it clear that he wanted a measured sensible approach to the game from the bats, playing as if it was a fifty over game. And they listened, keeping the scoring to a sensible five runs an over, preserving wickets. Kapila batted with composure for his 32, Kashif playing with the same reserve for his 38, and Sawar (28 no) and Niroshan (9 no) took the innings home, to give Cyprus 123 after their 20 overs.

 

Sawar finesses

 

Nadeem again was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2 for 16 from his four overs.

When Moscow CC went in to bat it soon became clear that 20 overs was the form of cricket that they were most comfortable with. Openers Mahesh and Bahrabh took off, and Cyprus realised they had a fight on their hands. First change bowler Kashif took care of Mahesh (26) and spinner Kapila had Bahrabh caught for 16. The introduction of spin slowed down the scoring rate and a remarkable two overs from Niroshan, demolishing the middle and lower order, leaving him with figures of  4 wickets for 1 run, brought Moscow CC innings to an abrupt halt. Their total of 94 after 18 overs, left the Muscovites with some pride in their performance and their unstinting support of each other for every run and wicket, gave the Cyprus team a lesson in team spirit.