| Match Reports - 1999: Mechelen Eagles v Lichfield Nomads Cricket Club |
70 overs Match. Maximum 40 overs per side. Nomads won the toss and batted first.
Weather : Very hot, sunny and humid.
Match Result - Nomads lost by 9 wickets.
Nomads 162 for 5 off 38 overs, Mechelen Eagles 163 for 1off 24.1 overs.
Highlights.
After travelling via Bruges to Brussels, the Nomads kicked off their tour of Belgium against Mechelen Eagles at Vijbroekpark Mechelen. Nomads won the toss and chose to bat given the hot sunny conditions. Gardner and Heslington opened and they began slowly, adjusting to the bouncy artificial surface. The run rate improved and the batsmen started to get on top of the openers Tahri and Rauf, only for Gardner to be dismissed by Tahri for 14. Fearon then went soon after for a duck. Holing out to Chris en els Beirens at mid-off off the bowling of Lariviers. Pinfield added a useful 26 in a stand of 73 with Heslington. Hussein then added 12. A personal best 80 not out from Heslington helped the Nomads to 162 for 5 off 38 overs leaving 32 overs to bowl out Mechelen Eagles.
Lariviere and Rauf opened the batting and Rauf was soon into his stride. But when he was dropped it proved a key moment of the game. Lariviere was first out caught and bowled to Fearon for 13 with the score on 71. Rauf went on to make 111 not out, Van Busseghem made 31 not out as Nomads wilted in the sun. Mechelen Eagles reached their target with over 7 overs to spare to win by 9 wickets.
Take it from me, the Nomads were ready for a beer and what better place to be than Belgium?
Scorecard
Nomads
| P.L. Gardner | Ct Keeper | Tahri | 14 |
| M.A. Heslington | Not Out | 80 | |
| P.J. Fearon | ct Bierens | Lariviere | 0 |
| M. Pinfield | Stumped Keeper | Osaer | 26 |
| A. Hussein | ct | Tahri | 12 |
| C. Rowland | ct Lariviere | Tahri | 0 |
| J. Hoddy | Not Out | 3 | |
| Extras | 27 | ||
| Total | 162 |
Mechelen Eagles
| Lariviere | c & b | Fearon | 13 |
| Rauf | Not Out | 111 | |
| Van Busseghem | Not Out | 31 | |
| Extras | 8 | ||
| Total | 163 | ||
| (24.1 overs) |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
| 71 | |||||||||
| 1 |