North Cyprus Cricket

TRNC Ladies Exposed

Last Sunday, witnessed the first ever North Cyprus Ladies Cricket Festival, when a team representing Sri Lanka and the Mouflons from Limassol travelled to Alsancak to take on the TRNC ladies.

Manager Lynn Holman told us, 20 ladies had shown interest in playing and after 2 training sessions, 9 had been chosen to play in the two 6-a-side Festival games.

Ready for action by 8.30am, the locals went through their warm up preparation. Then the call came, both opposition sides had been stopped on the border. Lots of confusion ensued, sports teams are exempt from the need to have a Turkish tour guide on their coach, but the police  were insisting. Frantic phone calls and one was found and the Festival was back on.

First up was TRNC verses the well coached Mouflons. The visitors scored 6 actual runs in their 6 overs, however, the North disappointingly bowled 25 wides and 12 no balls, giving the Limassol side an impressive 34 total, even after deducting 5 runs for Tina Binks  and Damla Akmandor’s wickets.

Batting in 3 pairs, facing 2 overs each, the TRNC’s Tina Binks and Damla Akmandor set about chasing down the score. With extras counting as 2 runs, they put on 12 but lost one wicket which reduced the score by 5 runs, still a good start. The next pair of Turkish Cypriot Captain, Hale Silifkili and New Zealander Angela Gokasan, owner of the paragliding centre, managed 2 runs due to losing a wicket in their first over. Last to bat were the British expats Kelsey Ace, and Maria Mansfield. They knew they had to take risks and put on 10 runs, but lost 2 wickets, which meant the final total remained 6.

Nigel Holman & Danish Afridi had been coaching the North’s girls and they explained careless run outs and wild bowling had cost the team dear, but with a little extra concentration they could win their last game.

Again the Opposition won the toss and decided to bat. This time it was the Sri Lankan’s who were clearly experienced with some battle hardened players. Highly competitive and disciplined they put on 16 runs, but the TRNC had listened to their earlier coaching and only gave away 21 extras. Leaving a total of 22 once the 3 wickets Mansfield, Binks and Turkish Cypriot Akmandor had taken were deducted.

Once more batting first pair, Binks and Akmandor opened adding 8 runs, next Gokasan and Bennett could only manage -2 having lost a wicket. The last pair of Silifkili and Mansfield, needing a daunting 19 to win took the only option open to them and went for all out attack. Unfortunately, it wasn’t their day, being out 3 times, they reduced the final total to a disappointing -11.

Watching the Festival’s final game between Mouflons and the Sri Lankans, the TRNC side could see the level they needed to get to. The Limassol players only bowled 3 wides and 2 no balls whilst taking 3 wickets, giving a final total of 3 for the Sub-Continent players. By careful batting, this they achieved with almost no scares and the trophy went to the well deserving Mouflons Ladies.

Later, Hale Silifkili said she had hoped the TRNC would have done better, but all the girls had huge fun and were looking forward to more games. Holman added, the North has some really good players and she was certain they can compete against the best.

For further information, please visit the TRNC Cricket Association’s Facebook page click here or call 0533 8248999.