CYPRUS V PORTUGAL

After the disappointment of the previous day, unable to play the game that might have seen Cyprus through to the finals, the team had to raise its spirit again to play for its place in the third division of the European League. This was a knock out game with Portugal and the losers were down in Division 4 for 2009.

Portugal came to the game without a win. Their dangerous batting duo of Butt and Aziz had failed to perform and they had not been able to put up a defendable total to date.

This was a slate grey day back at Gent, with the outfield wet and the sky so dark that it felt as if night was about to fall.

Cyprus won the toss and decided to field, an option that has always served well in the past. This time, with the ball sodden with water after only a few overs, difficult to grip for the bowlers and hard to field, it became evident that fielding was going to be very hard work. Mike K and Chris M opened the bowling, with the hope that they would bring their usual early breakthrough. But it didnπt happen. Opener Sayad the oldest player in the tournament at 62 was too wise for this youthful Cyprus opening attack, and with his partner Asif slowly ratcheted up the score with singles and the occasional boundary.

Niroshan had Asif (20) caught with a spectacular piece of athleticism from Muhammad on the long off boundary, when the score was on 39 in the 13^th over. There followed another partnership between Syed and no 3 Butt worth another 55 runs before Sayad (33) was run out, with the score on 90 in the 23^rd over. Portugal was heading for 160 or so, which seemed to be the average score for the Gent pitch.

But this was to be Butts day. Supported by no 4 Aziz, he dismantled Cyprus bowling, already struggling with a heavy wet ball, as hard to hold onto as a fish. He pushed the field with ones and twos and then picked up his pace to find the boundary. At the other end Aziz was following suite and together they were forcing up the run rate, taking the game away from Cyprus.

Butt (87) was out first caught by Niroshan off Sanjeewa and Aziz ten minutes later from a catch from Muhammad off Mike K. Their partnership had been worth 114 runs and they had effectively sealed Cyprus fate.

The game had been shortened because of rain so that at the end of their innings Portugal had amassed 234 runs, the highest score of the tournament, and 80 runs more than any team had managed on the Gent pitch.

Cyprus openers SampathT and Nalaga started aggressively, but it was never going to be too long before they slipped up, Nalaga (7) trying for his second boundary, hit the ball into the hands of mid off, and Sampath T (21) caught trying to repeat a big six at square leg.

When Centurion Sanjeewa was caught first ball from a diving catch at point and Sampath T (6) caught behind, the score was 51 for 4 after 11 overs, and it was left to then remaining batsmen to give some respectability to a lost game.

Anil batted bravely for his 20 and Mike K for his 22 but when the end came after 33 overs it was just the confirmation of the inevitable. Cyprus had fought on to 116 all out.

Portugal batting Sayad 33, Asif 20, Butt 87, Aziz 47, Khaliq 0, Paulo Bullimazza 5, Khan 9*

Cyprus bowling Mike K 38-2, Chris M 12-0, Sampath A 51-0, Niroshan 37-1, Sanjeewa 77-1, Muhammad 14-0

Cyprus batting Sampath T 21, Nalaga 5, Sanjeewa 0, Sampath A 6, Niroshan 0, Anil 20, Dhanuka 0, Mike K 22*, Sunil 1, Muhammad 8, Chris M 5

Portugal bowling Shoaib 33-2, Antunes 37-0, Khan 20-5, Carlos Billimazza 10-2, Medhi 14-0.