Grasshoppers CC from Shropshire has the distinction of being the first touring team of the 2010 season; it was a chilly start and Mallorca’s 1st XI won the toss and elected to bat in the 40 over match. Ben Vickers and Paul Muckleberg opened the innings both finding the boundary in the first over. Vickers’ wicket was first to fall when he went to a catch by Rowe off Wilson for 18 with 39 on the board. Skipper Jon Barratt was run out without troubling the scorer with the score on 53, but if the visitors were feeling pleased with themselves it was not to last. Wes Walker joined Muckleberg and the pair enjoyed a formidable partnership of 166 before Walker, after a majestic innings which included fifteen boundaries three of which were cracking sixes, fell to a catch by Dan Wilson off Keith Yapp just two short of his century. Mallorca: 219-3.  Muckleberg continued the onslaught in his inimitable style notching up his century with a boundary in a couple of hours at the crease. Keith Yapp was ‘Mucker’s’ downfall, bowling him for 118 in the twenty ninth over; the score 269-4. Andrew Clemence was the only other batsman of note as the homeside crumbled; Marnoch, Yaseen, Cook and George all fell to catches. Nick Broadbent recorded two caught and bowled in his last over.
Clemence and Nicholas finished unbeaten on 23 and 4 respectively, Mallorca’s final tally: 288-8 from 40 overs.
Aware of their substantial target Grasshoppers’ opening pair Graham Trow and Andy Rowe got their heads down putting on 74 by the thirteenth over as Vickers and Qamar-Shahzad toiled without reward. It was first change Hijazy Yaseen who made the breakthrough when Jon Barratt held a catch to dismiss Trow for a worthy 41. Harrison hit a run a minute 18 before Andy Nicholas bowled him with the score on 99. New boy Roger Marnoch proved useful accounting for Tim Yapp. Joe Yapp –another from the Yapp dynasty – was dismissed for 22 when Barratt held a catch of Nicholas. With the scoreboard showing 152-4 and Rowe holding court Keith Yapp failed when he was run out by Muckleberg. Rowe had just recorded his half century amidst the gathering gloom when Wes Walker bowled him with the score on 178-6. Vickers accounted for Wray in the first over of his second spell: 184-7. In the penultimate with 200 scored Neil Cook threw down the stumps to run out Tom Gardner for 14. Dan Wilson and Nick Broadbent finished on 6 and 4 respectively as Grasshoppers fell well short of the target: 213-8. The lights on the terrace were on as the players left the field.
Andy Nicholas put in an impressive performance with the ball: 8-1-28-2.