Alliance Midweek Cricket League Handbook 2011

Premier Division If 2009 saw the closest ever finish to the Premier Division, 2010 was more clear cut at the top. It quickly became apparent that there were only 2 contenders for the 7tle. Sheffield Collegiate, whose young side was led with gusto by Andy Simpson, with TOA, whose mercurial ba9ng and bowling was spearheaded by all-rounders Akram Khan and Mohammed Ilayas. By mid-season both teams had pulled clear of the rest, Collegiate heading the table for most of the season. By the final round of matches only a very big win for TOA and a loss for Collegiate could take the 7tle from the Abbeydale team. TOA gained their win by a good margin, but despite heroics from the already doomed Caribbean, Collegiate held their nerve to gain a well deserved Championship. Their campaign was centred on powerful ba9ng, epitomised by Michael Simpson, who hit over 400 runs at a rate of nearly 2 a ball. Interes7ngly both teams finished at the bo8om of the table in the previous season. The 7tle winners of the 2009 season, A8ock, never really threatened the top 2, whilst 2009 runners up Caribbean had a horrid season, plumb bo8om without a win. Caribbean did at least gain some succour as Sam Gi8ens, with a mixture of slow and slower balls, won the Prem Division bowling award. Frechville, using a very young team throughout the summer, were also relegated, but there were highlights such as very nearly chasing down 189 set by Collegiate. Michael Donson will be one to watch with both bat and ball in years to come. Division A Very much a division of two halves in 2010. Al-Mahdi and Waterworks, with both University Staff and Outokumpo in close a8endance, formed the top 4 going into the final round of games. As fate would have it, Outokumpo were playing Waterworks and Al-Mahdi played Staff. Wins for the chasing pair could have seen them leapfrog into the promo7on places. However, it was not to be. Al-Mahdi defeated Staff to win the 7tle and Waterworks saw off Outokumpo with ease. Outokumpo’s Mark Wright hit nigh on 400 runs at an average of over 55, whilst Waterworks Dave Andrews took 24 wickets at a shade over 7 each. At the other end of the table, Aviva endured a dreadful summer, winning just a single game. They will be joined in Division B by Nether Edge, who needed to beat fellow relega7on candidates Abbeydale to avoid the drop on the final day of the season. A game that Abbeydale won with ease. Division B The top of Division B saw just about the closet possible finish to the season. Kashmir were virtually unbeatable at home with their skiddy bowlers and ba8ers who countered their pitch with zero bounce by sauntering down the 2010 Review 21