Day 4 of the tournament saw Estonia playing their last group game against the home county team, The Cricket Board of Wales.
A victory in this game would not only preserve Estonia’s 100% record, but also elevate them to the semi finals to play the runners up of Group B. However between them and this 3rd straight win stood a highly capable and well drilled welsh side.
Estonia again won the toss and decided to put Wales in for a bat in the mirky and wet conditions. And with the first wicket going on the first ball of the match courtesy of Murali, Wales seemed to be a-rocking and a-rolling more than local boy Tom Jones.
Murali tore into the heart of the Welsh team but with Estonia on the ascendancy, the weather called time and the match was reduced to an 18 over game. However on the return Gareth Williams played a majestic innings hitting 52, to all corners of the field.
Barry, Filer, and Heath supported Murali’s 4 wicket haul, and with the light faling dramatically, Estonia took to the filed chasing 98 to win.
After a fast start Filer and Slobedetski’s innings came to an abrupt end. Barry (28) and Heath (26) came in to keep the score ticking over and the finishing line was in sight when Barry was caught on the boundary.
Estonia’s strength in depth then came to the fore with Siva and Murali, ably supported by a resolute Andrus Kambre, stearing the Estonian ship home in conditions slightly lighter than pitch dark.
This was, in the opinion of this humble match reporter, probably the best performance in Estonia’s short but meteoric rise in the cricketing world.
Man of the Match: Murali Obili
Written by Jason Barry
| Wales Vs Estonian 1st XI |
| 1-Innings Match Played At Eurotwenty20, 16-Jul-2008, 2008 Internationals |
| Estonian 1st XI Win by 3 wkts |
| Toss won by |
Estonian 1st XI |
| Player / Match |
ECA:Obili, Murali |
| Comment |
Rain Affected, game reduced to 18 overs aside |
| Wales 1st Innings 9/97 Closed (Overs 18) |
| Batsman |
Fieldsman |
Bowler |
Runs |
4s |
6s |
| L Heyes |
|
b Murali Obili |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| K Barber-Riley |
c A Puri |
b Murali Obili |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| M Briscoe |
lbw |
b Murali Obili |
2 |
0 |
0 |
| G Williams* |
not out |
|
52 |
0 |
0 |
| T Probert |
|
b Murali Obili |
8 |
0 |
0 |
| D Moulson |
lbw |
b Tim Heath |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| D Johnson |
|
c&b Tim Filer |
24 |
0 |
0 |
| J Hunter |
c Vineeth Govind |
b Tim Filer |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| M Prescott |
|
b Jason Barry |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| L Griffiths |
lbw |
b Jason Barry |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| C Jones |
not out |
|
1 |
0 |
0 |
| extras |
|
(b2 lb1 w3 nb0) |
6 |
|
|
| TOTAL |
|
9 wickets for |
97 |
|
|
| Bowler |
O |
M |
R |
W |
wd |
nb |
| Murali Obili |
4 |
1 |
8 |
4 |
- |
- |
| Vineeth Govind |
3 |
0 |
21 |
0 |
- |
- |
| Siva Arunachalam |
3 |
0 |
29 |
0 |
- |
- |
| Tim Heath |
4 |
0 |
15 |
1 |
- |
- |
| Jason Barry |
3 |
0 |
18 |
2 |
- |
- |
| Tim Filer |
1 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
- |
- |
| Estonian 1st XI 1st Innings 7/99 Closed (Overs 18) |
| Batsman |
Fieldsman |
Bowler |
Runs |
4s |
6s |
| Tim Filer |
c L Heyes |
b J Hunter |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| Oliver Slovodetsky+ |
|
c&b L Heyes |
7 |
1 |
0 |
| Tim Heath* |
c C Jones |
b T Probert |
26 |
5 |
0 |
| Jason Barry |
c C Jones |
b T Probert |
28 |
4 |
0 |
| A Puri |
|
c&b T Probert |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| Murali Obili |
lbw |
b J Hunter |
13 |
2 |
0 |
| Martin Dungay |
run out M Prescott |
|
2 |
0 |
0 |
| Siva Arunachalam |
not out |
|
10 |
2 |
0 |
| Andrus Kambre |
not out |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Vineeth Govind |
dnb |
|
- |
|
|
| Andres Burget |
dnb |
|
- |
|
|
| extras |
|
(b0 lb1 w8 nb0) |
9 |
|
|
| TOTAL |
|
7 wickets for |
99 |
|
|
| Bowler |
O |
M |
R |
W |
wd |
nb |
| J Hunter |
4 |
1 |
15 |
2 |
- |
- |
| L Heyes |
4 |
0 |
21 |
1 |
- |
- |
| T Probert |
4 |
1 |
20 |
3 |
- |
- |
| D Moulson |
3 |
0 |
32 |
0 |
- |
- |
| M Prescott |
3 |
0 |
10 |
0 |
- |
- |
|
