Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/228261
54 Sport maltatoday, SUNDAY, 15 DECEMBER 2013 CYCLING CRICKET Malta Cycling team in Emirates Tour Krishna lead standings Maurice Formosa, Christian Formosa, Charles Sammut, James Mifsud, Joseph Buttigieg, Etienne Bonello, Carl Attard, Jason Vella. Photo Jonathan Zammit Moore THE Maltese National Cycling Team has recently participated at the Tour of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. The Stage race covered 545km over fourdays and was classified as a UCI 2.2 category race fielding a total of 18 National and Continental teams. Malta was represented by Carl Attard, Maurice Formosa, Christian Formosa, Jason Vella, James Mifsud and Etienne Bonello assisted by Charles Sammut and sports therapist Joseph Buttigieg. Unlike to what was expected, the race was affected by heavy rainfall and strong side winds making the going tough through the unsheltered desert roads. With a field of over 100 riders the 6-man Malta team showed to be at par with other teams and rode intelligently trying to secure a podium result. Malta lost one of its main elements in the first stage when Maurice Formosa fell victim of a general crash under heavy rainfall, he was forced to abandon the race due to superficial injuries and bicycle damage. In the second stage which was also ridden under heavy rain Etienne Bonello tried to make amends to the previous day's results by mixing it with the front runners in the final sprint, positioning himself very well for the final rush to the line. He failed to secure a top placing despite finishing a few meters away from the winner. The third and longest stage had nothing less but two climbs and a total distance of 165km. The stage was on fire from the first few kilometers and the strong side winds blew the peloton apart withthe Maltese riders being caught out in the second group. Both Jason Vella and Bonello tried hard to reel back in the front runners but as soon as the first climb arrived it was obvious that Vella was on a good ride powering himself up joining the 30 strong front group. His success efforts were cut short by an untimely puncture near the end of the race forcing him to drop back for a wheel change. The final day was a 120km loop in the desert characterized by heavy wind gusts and undulations. The race was very aggressive with the main contenders still fighting it for the overall victory. Once again the red and white riders gave it all in the end with Carl Attard and James Mifsud leading Bonello into the final sprint. President John Zammit had words of praise for the Maltese showing, "The Maltese team is going from strength to strength and the way they rode in Sharjah is proof of that. They raced against professional riders and national champions from countries with far more resources than ours and still managed to hold their own, this is augurs well for the future and development of the team" The trip was made possible with the assistance of the Maltese Olympic Committee, Kunsill Malti GhallIsport and Emirates Airlines. Freephone: (+356) 800 737 70 cabs minivans vip transport ON Saturday the scheduled Winter league game between Krishna C.C and Melita C.C was awarded to the Krishna team which earned them twelve points and has them on top with 26 points. Melita have 8 points and Marsa have 6. So far only one game has been fully played out of a possible four, one has been postponed and the other unplayable due to the rain. With the league game off a friendly twenty over game was played between the North and South. The South team batted first with experienced opener Tim Wheeler and Bikram Arora opening the innings, both batsmen lasted seventeen balls, both were caught, Wheeler made ten runs while Arora made seventeen which included three fours which were hit in the second over of the innings. Mike Caruana played a long innings and was the last batsmen out scoring forty one runs which included five fours. Zubair Raja batted with flare scoring twenty two runs from fourteen balls which included a four and a six. Tony Slater would have had more than three runs had it not been for good fielding. Kevin Krishna did not bother the scorers and Wa- seem Abbas was left stranded on ten runs with two overs to go. The South side totalled 120 with the extras. For the North side Nowell Khosla took three wickets, Sarfraz Ali two and Sharoon Lazar one. The North opened up with master blaster Haroon Majeed who did not disappoint making forty nine runs which included three fours and a six, and John Rusher who after thirty balls faced retired making ten runs. Matt McKeogh made nine runs, Nowell Khosla made a quick fire thirty from sixteen balls which included five fours all coming from one over, that bowler was rested. John Grima made eight runs and suddenly the North side needed seven runs from the last over with Lazar and Shah Nawaaz batting. Three wides did not help the South side, a single and a two brought the scores level with one ball to go. Nawaaz facing was a s cool as a cucumber and easily made the winning run possible. For the South side Bikram Arora and Mike Caruana took a wicket each. Next Saturday the Winter league continues with the Krishna team taking on Marsa. The Sunoco cricket academy/nursery will be from 9:00 till 10:30am w w w. c a b s . c o m . m t 2138 9575 / 9921 5286 luxury coaches info@cabs.com.mt vintage buses