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Health & Fitness

Two games in to the 2013 season and the Napa Valley Cricket Club are standing at 1 and 1.

An entertaining game against new visitors, a Sri Lanka XI, to the Calistoga Fairgrounds on 4th May saw a high scoring and very competitive game that the Napa team lost narrowly. Following that game on the 18th the Napa Valley club traveled to Piper Park in Larkspur to play Marin Cricket Club in the first of 3 games in 2013 and ended up winning comfortably. Club Captain Australian Tim Irwin is excited by the good form being shown by the Napa Valley club saying “We’re only 2 games in to the season and we’ve already notched up almost 450 runs. Credit to our batsmen who have performed well in both games by putting us in game wining positions. Inderjeet (Singh) played a blinder in our first game against Sri Lanka and he was well supported by Marty (New Zealander Martin Mackenzie) who had his biggest score yet wearing the Napa Valley colors. Last weekend against Marin both Jeff (Keene) and Amrish (Pantvaidya) set a great base for the team in a long 40 over game and allowed the rest of the team to have fun with the bat when they each got their turns. We have had early season injury troubles though with a number of members picking up little niggles but thanks to the increased membership this year (almost 30) we have a large enough squad to draw on for our games” The first competitive game of 2013 saw a Sri Lanka XI play the Napa Valley club for the first time. Lead by their captain, Manor Rodrigo, they chased down Napa’s impressive score of 218 runs in 30 overs with 14 balls to spare. As a result of his fine innings of 99 Rodrigo picked up the Clos du Val “Man of the Match” award from the NVCC Vice President Andrew Healy. Healy said of Rodrigo’s performance “It’s the first time that we’ve hosted the Sri Lankan boys here at the Fairgrounds in Calistoga and what a great bunch of guys they are. We had heard that they played great cricket and they didn’t disappoint. We did however think that with our score of 218 that we had a great chance of winning but a fine innings from Manoj put an end to those hopes.” Napa Valley traveled to the beautiful settings of Piper Park in Larkspur to renew their rivalry with Marin CC. Piper Park has always been a good hunting ground for the Napa club and this game didn’t disappoint. Captain Irwin won the toss and elected to bat first sending New Zealander Jeff Keene and Indian Amrish Pantvaidya in to open the batting. They put on a resilient opening partnership of 96 runs and got to the 20 overs drinks break with their wickets intact. Keene ended up with 52 runs off 75 balls with Pantvaidya contributing 46 off 73. They were backed up by Martin Mackenzie whose late flourish of 26 off 19 allowed the Napa team to post a very healthy 212 runs off their allotted 40 overs. After lunch Napa took to the field in confident mood and made early in-roads in the Marin batting line up with opening bowlers Bijoy Ojha and Tim Irwin finding the right lines and lengths. The game saw a great show of sportsmanship from Napa when Marin batsman Charlie Cockerton collapsed between the stumps injured, by allowing him to keep his wicket while being tended to and ultimately carried off by the Napa Valley team. Napa seemed to have Marin on the ropes as the 20 overs drinks break approached and perhaps should have continued for a few more minutes as the Marin innings turned into a tale of two halves. Marin went to drinks on 82 for 7 wickets and looked in danger of being bowled out for less than 100 in reply to Napa’s 212. After the drinks break however Napa seemed to drop down a gear while Marin went up a gear. A determined eight wicket partnership of 81 between Marin batsmen Colin Churchill and Raman Virk had Napa worried as they came close to the Napa score ultimately finishing on 193 all out. The last of the Marin resistance was snuffed out with Irishman Healy taking a superb catch at “long on” for the final wicket. In his absence Cockerton was awarded the Clos du Val “Man of the Match” award for his performance with the ball, taking 5 wickets for only 28 runs for the Marin team. The next game for the Napa Valley Cricket Club is this coming Saturday June 1st from 10.30am at the Calistoga Fairgrounds against the Sonoma Gullies from Santa Rosa. Score Summary Napa Valley CC 212 all out defeated Marin CC 193 all out by 19 runs. (40 over game) NVCC Batting – Jeff Keene 52 runs off 75 balls, Amrish Pantvaidya 46 off 73. NVCC Bowling – Martin Mackenzie 4 wickets for 12 runs, Rob Bolch 3 for 41 runs. Sponsors The Napa Valley Cricket Club wishes to acknowledge the assistance of the following sponsors Clos du Val, Tonnelerie Saint Martin, go vino, 3 rock marketing , Duckhorn Vineyards, Grapeleaf Graphics, Queen of the Valley Hospital, Taltarni, Calistoga Roastery. Next Game Details Saturday 1st June 2013 versus Sonoma Gullies 10.30am – 5pm Napa County Fairgrounds, 1435 N Oak St, Calistoga, 94515 The Napa Valley Cricket Club is a 501(c) (4) non profit Mutual Benefit Corporation with the purpose of establishing an running an amateur cricket club in the Napa Valley to further the social enjoyment and development of cricket and associated events within the area. For more details or to arrange an interview please contact Andrew Healy on 707-227-4273 or by email at NapaValleyCricket@gmail.com More details on the Napa Valley Cricket Club can be found on the website – http://www.napacricket.com – where you can find details of their games for the summer ahead on the Calendar page.

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