Friendly match (30 overs):
Hungary XI vs Cregagh CC, Belfast
Saturday 21st June 2008 at RAFC, Budapest

Match report
Photos

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Hungary XI
spacer
4
6
Amandeep Singh run out
spacer
 13
2
0
Attila Vakan spacer b McCormick 1
0
0
Tushar Gandhi
c Clarke
b Jarvis
30
3
1
Manish Jain
spacer
b Hassard
0
0
0
Kristof Noll-Batek c Watt
b Lang
9
2
0
Mike Glover + lbw b McCormick 21
2
1
Lucky Singh
lbw
b McCormick
5
1
0
Janos Matyasfalvi
run out
spacer
0
0
0
Zoltan Mago c Hassard
b Clarke
13
1
1
Mark Bownas not out
12
2
0
Andy Grieve * not out
20
2
0
Extras 5nb 18w 6b 3lb
32
Total
30 overs
for 9
156
Cregagh CC
spacer
4
6
Pete Kerr spacer
b A Singh
10
2
0
S Clarke spacer
b Bownas
6
1
0
Graham Watt spacer
b Mago
1
0
0
Paul Trimble +
spacer
b Grieve
35
3
3
R Lang
c Mago
b Bownas
12
2
0
R Jarvis c A Singh b Grieve
33
2
4
David McCormick not out
25
2
1
Mark Thompson
c Vakan
 b L Singh
0
0
0
Graeme Hassard
spacer
b A Singh
12
2
0
P Clark
spacer
b Grieve
0
0
0
Thompson Dawson * not out
3
0
0
Extras 2nb 11w 4b 3lb
20
Total 27.1 overs
for 9
157
Bowler
O
M
R
Wk
M Thomps0n
4
0
18
0
D McCormick
6
1
11
3
Graeme Hassard
5
0
43
1
R Lang
6
0
17
1
Phil Thompson
1
0
22
0
Thompson Dawson
3
0
12
0
Graham Watt
1
0
9
0
R Jarvis
2
1
1
1
Pete Kerr
1
0
8
0
S Clarke
1
0
10
1
Fall of wicket
19
 Vakan
20
 A Singh
34
 Jain
48
 Noll-Batek
89
 Gandhi
98
 L Singh
99
 Matyasfalvi
109
 Glover
119
 Mago
Bowler
O
M
R
Wk
Amandeep Singh
6
1
16
2
Zoltan Mago
4
0
27
1
Mark Bownas
3.1
0
29
2
Attila Vakan
3
1
27
0
Tushar Gandhi
2
0
27
0
Andy Grieve
6
1
13
3
Lucky Singh
3
0
10
1
Fall of wicket
18
25
25
49
101
111
112
144
148

Cregagh CC won by 1 wicket

On a glorious day, one of the tightest matches in Hungarian cricket history was played out between a strong Hungary XI and the second touring team of the summer, Cregagh CC. The mix of ages, nationalities and sizes on both sides showed how universal cricket is, and the game showed how exciting cricket can be.

Opting to bat first, Hungary started slowly and were two down with just 20 on the board after young Attila Vakan was bowled and Amandeep Singh needlessly run out when called back for a second run. Tushar Gandhi played his usual game in making 29, aided by wicketkeeper Mike Glover who came in with a bang - 4, 6, 4. Although he slowed down after that, his innings acted as a solid backbone, although he was responsible for poor Janos Matyasfalvi being run out for a diamond duck (no runs and he didn't face a ball!). The Hungarian tail wagged, with Zoltan Mago smashing a 6 and a 4, then Mark Bownas and captain Andy Grieve adding an unbeaten 37 runs for the last wicket. The pick of the 10 bowlers used by Cregagh was David McCormick, with three wickets for just 11 runs off his six overs.

The Cregagh reply followed a similar path to Hungary's, with them reeling at 49-4 after some great bowling from Amandeep, Zoli, Mark and Attila. However, suddenly a South African whirlwind came to the wicket and he (Richard Jarvis) proceeded to hit the ball over the fence at will, accompanied by his equally destructive partner Paul Trimble. They put on a rapid 52 runs for the fifth wicket, which put Cregagh in a very strong position. Andy (3-13) brought himself on and snuffed out their attack with some accurate bowling, leaving the run chase in the balance. However, McCormick proved Hungary's downfall again (being dropped on the way), guiding the tail home by the slenderest margin of just one wicket.

The match contained many ifs: if only Zoli had held that catch, if only some of our fielders hadn't missed some boundaries, if only Kristof or Manish had bowled, if only we had got some more runs on the board. But there was definitely an answer to the questions of whether Hungary can play good cricket and if the national team has a bright future, and that answer was definitely in the affirmative...

Hungarian man of the match: Mike Glover (as chosen by Cregagh CC)