DAY TWO FINLAND
After
the smiles and hugs after the win over Slovenia it was back to earth with
a bump for day two with a critical game against the team that had started
the tournament as favourites, Finland.
Finland
had been demoted from Div 3 in 2005 and were looking to go back up. They were
a professional looking outfit, well prepared and well organised. But in their
opening game they lost against Luxembourg, a real surprise, and a big blow
to their confidence.
So
could a Cyprus side on the way up defeat a Finland side on their way down.
The
game was in Brussels, on the biggest outfield in Belgium, and once again the
weather was overcast.
Cyprus
was gaining a reputation as a bowling side, preferring to field first, and
hopefully be in a position to chase a low total.
Finland
won the toss and chose to put Cyprus uncertain batting to the test by choosing
to field.
Sampath
Tsangerides and Danuka Agathocleous got Cyprus off to a good start. Trying
to restrain their natural attacking game they played straight against a swinging
seaming ball, finding the boundary with the occasional wide delivery. After
the fourth over they had scored 22 without loss and Cyprus was smiling. After
the fifth over smiles froze as Sampath T was back in the pavilion followed
a few balls later by Singha Arthanayake.
A
determined partnership between Danuka and Anil Nair ended in the 11th
over as Anil was bowled playing back to a ball that swung and seamed. Danuka
carried on as he watched wickets tumble at the other end, batting for almost
two hours for 14 runs when he was caught. With his wicket Cyprus resistance
collapsed. In the 27th over the team was all out, Mike Kyriacou
was stranded at one end with the last four batsman failing to contribute a
single run. The total was 60 runs.
After
the jubilation of the previous evening, now the team was feeling the pain
of loosing. They had to pick themselves up and go out and challenge the Finland
side, to play with the belief that they could still win this game.
Cyprus
fought back hard with their bowling and fielding and for a moment Finland
wobbled. Opening bowlers Chris Markides and Mike Kyriacou contained the Finish
openers but it was Sampath Arthanayake who struck them out with a remarkable
display of inswing and outswing bowling. After 8 overs Finland were 25 without
loss, after 18 they were 46 for 4. But the total was too low and the result
inevitable, Finland taking the game in the 21st over.
Cyprus
had come back well, taking two very sharp catches in the slips, and had shown
a spirit to fight even in the most disadvantageous circumstances. Singha Arthanayake
had had a purple spell, finding line and length from his first ball, taking
three wickets for 16 runs. But the batsmen seemed unable to perform in these
damp cloudy conditions, and now with one win and one loss had just one game
left in which to learn.
After
two games all teams were on two points with one game won and one game lost.
Finland with its superior run rate were on top, Cyprus were on the bottom.
