2nd Metropolitan Cup - PWCC vs. Santiago

Santiago gleaned a measure of compensation from a disappointing Metropolitan Cricket Cup campaign with a clinical 7-wicket dispatching of a depleted Prince of Wales Country Club (PWCC) line-up at the Craighouse fields on Saturday. The defeat left PWCC in bottom (fourth) place in the 2002/3 Chilean cricket season.

PWCC openers Clinton Porteous and Dean Ilott started well enough. They put on 51, on an unpredictable pitch and against some genuinely fast bowling. Even Ilott (17), who normally bats like he's on Valium, got into the act with some positive shots and sound defense.

Porteous was at his dashing best, using his feet well and not afraid to hit over the top. He contributed 31 before he became Santiago skipper Jay Anglin's first victim when he gave mid-off some catching practice.

But that was as good as it got for PWCC. Porteous' dismissal triggered a sad procession of batsmen to and from the pavilion. Anglin and off-spinner Pete Smith ripped through a sorry middle and lower order that seemed to lack both the gumption and skill to make a fight of it. Hardly troubling the scorer, the remaining batsmen capitulated from 51/0 to 66 for the loss of 8 wickets (all out). Destroyer-in-chief Anglin's incisive inswing and looping bounce bagged five wickets, while Smith, playing in his last game in Chile before heading home to Australia, took three with his skidding off-spin.

The pitch dried during the day, making batting an easier proposition later on. PWCC's Ian Scott and Ilott sent back three Santiago batsmen early on to restore some respectability to the scoreline. But Simon Shaulders wasn't going anywhere, and he found a willing ally in Edwin Huysing. The pair saw off the opening bowlers, and the pie-throwers who followed, knocking off the winning runs with more than 20 of their allotted 35 overs to spare.

But 3rd spot must be cold comfort for Santiago, who must have expected to have at least made the Metropolitan Cup final. They will be asking themselves why they saved their best performance for last after losing all three of their fixtures.

For PWCC, it was a poor way to go out after such a strong showing early on. Their unsung bowling attack proved to be a match for the other teams, and their fielding was solid, but their glass-jaw middle order just wasn't good enough.

The day ended with a quick double-wicket beer match, which was played in good spirits. But I suspect Santiago's Blair Douglas was drinking shandies.