A fine all-round team performance from Guernsey ensured that they will depart for World Cricket League Division 6 in Singapore in 2 weeks time with a massive morale-boosting win against Jersey under their belts. The final margin of victory was 21 runs but for much of the second innings Jersey seemed to be in complete control. As ever in inter-insular cricket, a game can change dramatically with one dismissal and that was certainly the case on this occasion.

Jersey had brought back the previously-retired former captain Matt Hague and all-rounder Tony Carlyon for this game, and gave a debut to South African newcomer Hannes Botha. The very prolific Australian left-hander, Dean Morrison, who qualifies for ICC purposes prior to Jersey’s visit to Nepal for World Cricket League Division 5 next February, was also selected. Indeed, Jersey’s top four had already scored 11 centuries between them this season and were in prime form coming into the game.

Guernsey had an eye on Singapore and understandably picked a side with that tournament in mind, resisting the temptation to select any non-ICC eligible players. 10 of the selected side will be in Singapore and the only exception was regular wicketkeeper Matt Oliver who misses Singapore due to work commitments.

A sun-kissed KGV saw a healthy crowd which was estimated to be in the region of 700 by mid-afternoon. Recent rain meant that the wicket was somewhat slower and lower than would have been the case a month ago, but Guernsey skipper Stuart Le Prevost, who became a father for the first time just 24 hours earlier, had no hesitation in batting first after winning the toss.

The Jersey opening bowlers, Ryan Driver and Anthony Kay, started very impressively and conceded just 9 runs in the opening 7 overs with some very tight bowling backed up by some excellent ground fielding. Their pressure was duly rewarded when Oliver edged Driver behind. Jeremy Frith joined opener Lee Savident and, somewhat unusually, Frith outscored his partner as they steadily built a key partnership. Frith was starting to cut loose when he surprisingly knocked a full toss straight back to young left-arm spinner Ben Stevens to be caught and bowled for 36 (63 balls). This brought skipper Le Prevost to the crease and he continued the momentum in another key partnership with Savident.

Savident used his previous first-class experience well and had clearly worked out the pace of the wicket. Playing a low-risk game, he then tried to force the pace when in the 60s and just survived a very tough low chance at mid-on. In the next over he was badly dropped at mid-off by the normally very safe hands of Driver off the bowling of Peter Gough, and one sensed that the drop could prove very expensive. Savident re-focused on batting through the innings and with Le Prevost starting to bat very fluently the platform was being laid for a late innings flurry. Le Prevost was bowled by Kay for a fine 41 (53 balls) but this brought the hard-hitting South African GH Smit to the crease. Smit was quickly into his stride and smashed a vital 29 off just 21 balls in the closing overs, including a huge straight six off Kay. He seemed unfortunate to fall to a catch off a high full toss from Kay but only after keeping Savident company while the latter completed a very hard-earned century, ending with an unbeaten 102 from 139 balls, a scoring rate which gave a strong indication that it was a grafting wicket. A final score of 224 for 4 in 50 overs was clearly a challenging one for Jersey if the Guernsey bowlers could bowl in the right areas.

The Jersey openers, fellow left-handers Peter Gough and Dean Morrison, set about their task superbly with brilliant running between the wickets while they found the gaps in the in-field. But the Guernsey seamers were giving very little away and crucial boundaries were very hard to come by. Savident bowled his 10 overs straight through for just 35 runs, while Blane Queripel bowled an exceptional line to the two left-handers, conceding just 15 runs in his 6 overs. Jamie Nussbaumer continued the good work when he replaced Queripel, and with 30 overs gone Jersey seemed to be completely in control with 10 wickets in hand although the required run rate had crucially been allowed to get close to 6 an over. No problem with the two openers still at the wicket, but a much tougher challenger for any incoming batsmen.

The big breakthrough came when Gough needlessly played a reverse sweep to off-spinner Gary Rich and was bowled for 44 (83 balls), and when Hague soon chipped one back at Jeremy Frith, Guernsey started to sense that the gate was open. Frith then trapped Driver leg-before, but Morrison had cut loose, tucking into Rich with some big blows over long-on including one big 6. But then Morrison surprisingly holed out at long-on to Frith at the other end, Kris Moherndl pouching the catch, and Guernsey were now starting to become favourites as the required run-rate started to climb to 7, 8 and then 9 an over. Frith ended with the very impressive figures of 3 for 34 from his 10 overs, with the three wickets being the huge wickets of Morrison, Hague and Driver.

Guernsey’s two death bowlers, Stuart Bisson and Jamie Nussbaumer, then bowled quite brilliantly in the last 10 overs as they fired in yorker after yorker, just conceding singles as the Jersey middle order desperately tried to find the boundaries even with the batting power play in progress for the last 5 overs. Despite a straight six from Carlyon off Bisson, Jersey’s position quickly became a virtually impossible won and they ended up 21 runs short with 8 wickets down. Bisson, who only came on in the 41st over, took 2 for 32 in his vital 5 overs, while Nussbaumer returned the excellent figures of 1 for 32 from 9 overs.

It was perhaps expected that Savident would indeed win the man of the match award for his century and tight bowling spell, but on other days Frith, Nussbaumer or Bisson would have been significant candidates.

Jersey will clearly believe that this was a game that they should have won comfortably halfway through their innings with 10 wickets in hand, and certainly both of their openers will regret throwing their wickets away after having laid such a great platform. Guernsey will take great heart from such a fine bowling and fielding performance which created the pressure on the Jersey’s batsmen, and will hope that the very impressive death bowling can be repeated in Singapore.