45-41 Top cricketers

45 – Tony Shepherd

A fast accurate opening bowler who, on occasion, could also be a damaging presence with the bat at the top of the order. While his hitting was inconsistent, you could not say the same about his bowling and as Cobo emerged as a force in the early 1960s, ‘Shep’ was the man who, in tandem with the accurate and canny Roy Lucas, pinned down the opposition batsmen. He could also have their hearts racing, such was his pace on the old bitumen KGV wicket which was not the safest of surfaces. Not that this Young Cricketer of the Year in 1960 was the sort to bowl bouncers. He pitched it up and he regularly ran through opposition batting in the early 60s, one such occasion being an outstanding 8 for 17 against Rovers A in 1962. It was not until 1964 he won the first of his island caps, but it was not the happiest of experiences, bowling just three overs in a heavy loss at the FB Fields. But he retained his place and in 1966 blasted out the Jersey openers in taking 4 for 38 at the FB Fields. After more than a decade with Cobo he then switched to his work side, Tektronix, and proved invaluable to them for several seasons. When the side finally disbanded he went back to Cobo and remained a force, helping the club to GCA knockout success in the late 1980s.

Notable performances:

1962 –          6-15 Cobo v Pilgrims; 5-29 Cobo v Pessimists

1965 –          5-30 Cobo v Harlequins

1966 –          6-4 Cobo v Pilgrims

1967 –          6-12 Cobo v Optimists; 6-26 Cobo v Pessimists; 5-40 Cobo v Pessimists

44 – Frank Fortey

ONE of very few players who have won caps for both Guernsey and Jersey. It was Guernsey who benefitted from his all-round skills initially, arriving on island in 1965 and with his scuttling approach and whippy arm action bowled at a decent pace. That year there were two ‘five-fors’ and a 6 for 13 for Pessimists and it was no surprise that he won a place in the GCL side to play the JCL. He scored 35 and, three years later playing for the full Guernsey side, 34. But possibly his best performance came in 1969, his farewell appearance, when he hit 79 and claimed 3 for 65 for the GCL against JCL.

In 1967 he won his first full cap and batted down at seven and picked up one wicket in a drawn match. The following season he was pushed up the order to four and hit 34 in another draw, but having left for Jersey in 1970 he found himself opening for Jersey in the 1974 game at FB Fields.

Notable performances:

1965 –          5-15 Pessimists v Vale Rec; 5-48 Pessimists v Harlequins; 49 GICC v Fox CC

1967 –          4-15 Pessimists v Optimists; 53* Pessimists v St Saviours; 50* Pessimists v Jsy St Lukes

1969 –          71 Sarnian TCC v Dudsbury Heights

43 – Ted Enevoldsen

MODERN cricketers will recall this lovable gent of the game as a wily off-spinner, but when he first emerged on the scene in the early 1950s it was as a quickish swing bowler and effective one too. Having been educated at Les Vauxbelets College, he was 16 when Pessimists’ captain Tom Knight invited him to join the club. He would play for the ‘Ps’ for seven seasons, but in 1959 he was opening the bowling for Optimists and that season took 6 for 26 against Rovers and 6 for 5 against the Herald. His successful police career impinged on his cricket at the start of the 1960s, but in 1967 he made the full Island team and on debut took 4 for 33 from 23 overs of spin in a drawn game at the College Field. Enevoldsen claimed 3 for 9 in the last 12 overs of a long spell, his last eight overs being maidens, but Guernsey could not force a win. A year later he was captain and did not bowl himself. That was the end of his representative career, but far from the end of his influence on the domestic game which had taken a turn when Jack Reddish had advised him to forget the quicker stuff and take up spin bowling.

He would continue to play with Optimists for many years yet before switching moods again and re-joining Pessimists. Even as a veteran he could still transform the game with his spinners and would continue to play top-flight cricket as he approached his 60s, while also becoming a regular in the Cl Over 50s side.

Notable performances:

1964 –          21* & 5-24 Optimists v Rovers; 6-32 Optimists v EC; 6-51 Optimists v Jsy Sylvans

1965 –          6-32 Optimists v Rovers; 6-33 GCL v Wine Trade

1967 –          6-37 GICC v MCC; 8-27 Optimists v Pilgrims

42 – Ollie Newey

Through sheer hard work and commitment, the all-rounder transformed himself from an average cricketer when he arrived here into an Island player who would rise to be captain. Made his Guernsey debut in 2013 when voted weekend player of the year, and although in six inter-insulars failed to make a really telling contribution, in ICC games he has fared much better. His 899 runs include two centuries and two 50s and is bettered by only two Sarnians. His seamers have also proved very handy in balancing the side, as has his ability to don the ‘keeper’s gloves and not look out of place. Although 2021 has not been kind to his stats, he is a dependable batsman. Man of the match against Fiji in World Cricket League Six in 2015 when he scored 129 not out after Guernsey had been reduced to 2 for 2, he has long been a mainstay in the ‘national’ line-up, scoring good runs and chipping away with vital wickets. In more recent times – pre-Covid – has been elevated to Island captain and in the club game has been a source of big scores for Cobo in all forms of the game.

Notable performances:

2014 –          56 v Jersey WCL

2015 –          30 & 3-19 v Botswana; 129* v Fiji

2016 –          33 & 3-20 v Tanzania; 4-27 v Oman; 56 v Vanuatu

2017 –          73 & 1-39 v Italy; 54 v Cayman; 80 & 2-38 v Qatar; 70 & 2-27 v Ghana

41 – David Hooper

PUGNACIOUS all-rounder who, before taking up a teaching post in England, was a mainstay of the emerging Griffins club side and a regular in the Island team. In international terms, he has played 25 European Championship T20 matches and 32 World league games. His bowling – labelled as right-arm medium but really a wide assortment that keeps batsmen guessing – proving particularly effective, including finishing up as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker in WCL5 Singapore 2012 with 17 to his name. As a batsman, at representative level he has moved up and down the order, often needing to score quick runs in a chase. His record of just one ICC half-century – 55 against Suriname in 2015 – does not do justice to his ability with the willow. In that same game he took 3 for 32 and twice he has claimed five wickets against Cayman. On the domestic scene, he was an integral cog in the successful Argylls/Miton Optimal side as well as helping Griffins to silverware too. A very good fielder and great team man. Did not earn the nickname ‘Super-Duper’ Davey Hooper for nothing.

Notable performances:

2013 –          41 v Norway; 3-22 v Sweden in Euro T20

2016 –          26 & 2-16 v Italy

2019 –          18 & 2-13 v Italy; 3-5 v Denmark

2011 –          45 & 1-22 v Malaysia

2012 –          17 & 5-47 v Cayman

2015 –          37 & 3-14 v Norway

2016 –          18 & 2-34 v Vanuatu

2017 –          5-36 v Cayman; 26* & 3-50 v Italy