Sri Lanka Milano V Genoa Cricket 1893 28 June 2009
Genoa Wins to Secure Top Spot
Genoa enjoys another resounding victory to make it six wins out of six and to almost certainly secure the top spot with just two games to go.
Genoa lost the toss and was asked to take to the field in hot, sultry conditions.
Its opening fast bowlers toiled away but wickets were hard to come by. In the sixteenth over the home side were a healthy 86 for two and could have gone on to make a competitive 250 on what appeared to be a slow pitch. However it was the reliable Niranga that got the breakthrough which opened up the middle order. The spinners then bowled well, reduced the run-rate and applied pressure. Madoupa then took three wickets in quick succession and their tail began to wag. They only managed to put on 80 runs in the last 24 overs - just over three an over - and they were eventually all bowled out for 169 runs, a total that Genoa was confident of reaching.
Genoa openers Indika and Malith put on the best batting show of the season. It was too hot to run and so they got boundaries instead. They put on a partnership of 120 runs in 11 overs at a rate of about 11 an over and they seemed to be training for the imminent quarter final 20/20 match. Indika eventually fell when he was given out LBW attempting a reverse sweep. His innings of 63 included two sixes and eight fours. Madoupa then came to the crease and the carnage continued. Genoa reached the target of 170 runs for the loss of one wicket in just the 16th over with Malith scoring 75 in an entertaining innings that included 5 sixes and 8 fours.
This time even the players themselves were amazed by the wonderful batting performance.
Celebrations began knowing that they had just booked our place in the playoff for the first 4 top Serie B positions in the country.
By Ebury-Reynolds