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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 8 MARCH 2015 Sport 37 BRYAN CORLETT IN a Mediterranean Bank Cup game Sliema Stompers did enough in each half to keep Falcons at bay. With the Malta select team play- ing against Gibraltar, there were a few players missing from the Stomper's ranks. But we can take nothing away from a Falcon's side that were beaten last week by Kav- allieri by 40 points. The weather is perfect after a little rain, now the sun is shining and the ground is soft underfoot. Edwin Ward is today's Referee. Stompers knew that they had to play well and not let Falcons get into the game and so they played the game at pace in the first half, playing a wide game with quick long passes to give their outside backs a bit of space. With a right then left play Stompers scored through Maylor (7) running wide down the touchline and then cut- ting back in to score. Neville Borg (15) converts and it is Stompers 7 Falcons 0. Stompers send wave upon wave of attack at the Falcons line but, Falcons are swarming the attack- ers that are trying to take the in- side channel, finally going right McLister (10) scores on the right 10 metres in from the touch- line. No conversion, its 12 to 0 to Stompers. Falcons are trying to get into the game but the Stomper's defence is shutting down their space. Falcons are trying to chip kick behind the Stomper's defence and were unlucky to not get a favour- able bounce. They also strike and win two Stompers balls into the scrum, so they are playing with a determination and zeal. Stompers again score with the ball being picked up at the back of the scrum by Cerketa (8) he heads for the line and as he is tackled he off loads to his scrumhalf Julian Caruana (9) and he scores to the right of the posts. Neville Borg (15) converts, it is now Stompers 19 Falcons 0. Borg (15) scores after a period of pick and goes by the Stomper's forwards that gets them close to the tryline for Borg to score. The conversion misses. It's now Stompers 24 Falcons 0. Falcons get into the game as Stompers take their foot off the paddle and the game begins to get scrappy and loose. From bro- ken play Aaron Borg (12) scores under the posts and finally they are in the game it's Stompers 24 Falcons 7. Ryan Borg (10) scores with some fine individual play, he kicked long, the ball was dropped by Stompers, Borg toes the ball through and scores, the conversion bounces off the upright. Stompers 24 Falcons 12 and it is halftime. Immediately in the second half Stompers attack the Falcon's tryline but it is hard work as the passes are all over the place and overlaps out wide are not seen by the inside backs, but finally Ju- lian Caruana (9) scores out wide but with no conversion. It is now Stompers 29 Falcons 12. McLister (10) scores his second try weaving through the Falcon's defence. Stompers now 36 Falcons 12. Falcons kick a penalt y from around the 10 metres mark it is now Stompers 30 Falcons 15. McLister scores again from bro- ken play. Andrew Borg (10) for Falcons scores spinning his way through some tackles but the conversion failed Stompers now 36 Falcons 20. Another try by Falcons puts the score at 36 Stompers 25 Falcons. Stompers in a final f lourish score again to take the score out to Stompers 43 Falcons 25. Falcons played again some posi- tive Rugby and after a whitewash last week, put some points on the board and caused some concern to Stompers, so they are learning week by week and in this tougher competition are making some in- roads. Other scores Kavallieri 24 Swieqi Overseas 10. Gladiators 67 Stomp- ers "B" 17. Women's Rugby: Falcons 38 Kav- allieri 7. Overseas 5 Kavallieri 15. Falcons 40 Overseas 0. FORMULA 1 CRICKET RUGBY Sliema Stompers win over a hard working Falcons team Australia set for opening round until 2020 AUSTRALIAN Grand Prix officials say that the race around the Albert Park Street Circuit in Melbourne will host the first round of the cam- paign until at least 2020. Since the race moved from Ad- elaide to Melbourne, only in 2006 and 2010 has the city not hosted the season-opening round, when that honour fell to Bahrain. Australian Grand Prix Corpora- tion Chief Executive Officer An- drew Westacott says that the cir- cuit's new contract – which runs from 2016 to 2020 – stipulates that it will be the first round of the year. "We have clauses in there about [being] the first race of the season," Westacott told Fairfax Media. "The requirement that it be the first race is maintained. It works beautifully for Melbourne and Victoria that it's at the start of the season – and that's not going to change." Westacott also insists that the Australian Grand Prix will remain a day race, despite previous calls for the event to be held at night. "The contract stipulates in vari- ous legal words about Melbourne being the first race and it being a day race," he said. "It's also in the agreement that there's no artificial light, so it's not going to go to a night race." McLaren: Fernando Alonso suffered 'temporary memory loss' in crash Becks too good for Marsa MCLAREN have confirmed Fernan- do Alonso suffered temporary mem- ory loss in a testing crash last month but played down media reports that the double world champion forgot he was a Formula One driver. Spain's El Pais newspaper had re- ported on Thursday that the driver told doctors testing his recall when he regained consciousness: "My name is Fernando, I race karts. I want to be a Formula One driver." It claimed the Spaniard could not initially remember anything after 1995. McLaren racing director Eric Boullier told Sky Sports television on Friday that Alonso had suffered "a normal concussion" with a loss of temporary memory. "It's not as dramatic as you read in the media. Everything is back to normal," he added. Boullier said Alonso, who joined McLaren from Ferrari at the end of last season, was frustrated not to be racing in next week's Australian season-opener but would take part in the debriefs by video link. The Frenchman said Alonso had undergone medical tests on his re- action times and everything was normal. "We are monitoring until the end of the recovery time," he added. "As far as we are concerned, we want him to be in the simulator not to test him but rather to update him on what we have been doing over the last two weeks." Alonso, who spent three nights in hospital following the crash in Bar- celona, appeared to make a joking allusion to the stories about his am- nesia on Friday. "In a few days the championship starts and we ran out (of) "imagi- nation". I propose a game with RT (retweet) to the most creative. #whe- reDidYouWakeUpToday'," he told his two million followers on Twitter. "Keep working good. 30 min bike, 30 swim, 30 gym. Malaysia is one of the most demanding races, and we will be at 100 percent," he added. McLaren have said Alonso will be back in the car for the Malaysian Grand Prix, the second round of the season after Melbourne. The team, who are starting up a new partnership with Honda, have done the fewest laps of any of the top teams in testing and been repeatedly sidelined by problems with the car. TOWARDS the end of the week the Marsa C.C entertained the first tour- ing team for the year, Beckenham C.C, who are from Kent, England, in a two game series. On Friday afternoon a twenty over game was played, a high scoring game at that. The visitors batted first, if one can say they batted when only three batsmen ventured to the middle. The Opening batsmen made a partnership of 93 runs of which Chris Isles had made an incredible 64 which included eight boundaries and three sixes. His partner ended up making 70 runs not out and K. Wulff made 46 runs and 14 extras and that made a top score of 194 runs. For Marsa Sumair Khan was the wicket taker. Frank Spiteri bowled four good overs and only had 17 runs taken of them. It was great to see the Marsa bats- men fight out the game till the end. Nowell Khosla (20 runs), Haroon Ma- jeed (23 runs) , Frank Spiteri (51 runs), Bikram Arora (25 runs) and Andy Naudi (25 runs not out) all had good starts, only Spiteri was able to give hope for a win until he was run out. Chris Naudi chipped in with 12 runs and Ronnie Sacco made four. There were 30 extras and the home side were short by five runs for victory. For the visitors, Chris Isles, K. Wulff, Jack Baritt and Terence McDowell all took a wicket each. Yesterday Beckenham again bat- ted first, James Evans scored a bril- liant century (110) which included 13 boundaries. He batted for 33 overs. Chris Isles was again in the runs mak- ing 76, this time at batting position number seven. Beckenham scored a total of 256 runs. Joy Ghoseroy took two wickets for Marsa while Derek Ali, Sarfraz Ali and Gordon Hewitt took a wicket each. In reply the Marsa team were bowled out for 166 runs. Derek Ali and extras were the top scores with 33 a piece. A notable innings came from the blade of John Rusher who made 30 runs which included four boundaries. No bowler is safe when they put it there for the cover drive. Haroon Ma- jeed made a quick 27 runs and Sar- fraz Ali chipped in with 21. For the visitors, Duncan Spencer, J. Bilimoria, Tom Smelt and Terence McDowell took two wickets each while K. Wulff and Matt McKeogh took a wicket each. Marsa lose their opening touring series two nil. Next Saturday the final of the Win- ter Wallop between Marsa Magpies and Melita Bees will be played. The Sunoco Cricket academy/nursery will be from 9 till 10:30am.