ICC Europe Division 2 Guernsey 2008

Guernsey v Jersey
European Championship Division Two 2008
Venue King George V Sports Ground, Castel on 23rd August 2008 (50-over match)
Balls per over 6
Toss Jersey won the toss and decided to bat
Result Jersey won by 1 run
Points Guernsey 0; Jersey 2
Umpires TC Magee (Ireland), K Smith (Ireland)
Scorers L Avery, L Davis

——————————————————————————–

Jersey innings    RunsBallsMins4s6sSR Guernsey bowlingOvMdnRunsWktsWNbSRER
P W GoughlbwbSavident1217191-70.6Savident1002723-302.7
I CrockerbNussbaumer63657--16.7Queripel5023141304.6
A S J DewhurstbQueripel054--0.0Nussbaumer8140121485.0
R C Drivernotout11315116110174.8Rich100380--3.8
*M R HaguecSmitbFrith3560862-58.3Frith100331--603.3
J M GoughbSavident616181-37.5Ravenscroft10140--14.0
A W Kaynotout1816231-112.5Smit603201-5.3
C Jonesdnb
†R D Mintydnb
T E Mintydnb
S S J Dewhurstdnb
Extras (b1, lb5, w9, nb6)28
Total (for 5 wkts in 50 overs)218
Fall of wickets
1-18(PW Gough),2-20(ASJ Dewhurst),3-42(Crocker),4-151(Hague),5-170(JM Gough)

Guernsey innings    RunsBallsMins4s6sSR Jersey bowlingOvMdnRunsWktsWNbSRER
L Savidentrunout(JM Gough)981441706268.1Driver1003903-3.9
†M OlivercKaybJones4552645-86.5Kay713721-215.3
J D J FrithcandbSSJ Dewhurst3750684-74.0Jones91291--543.2
T Ravenscroftrunout(Kay)11015--10.0Hague40230-15.8
G H SmitbPW Gough5810--62.5T Minty30140.0--4.7
*S E Le PrevostlbwbKay1521212-71.4S Dewhurst803511-484.4
J Ferbracherunout(Hague)008--P Gough903911-544.3
K B Moherndlrunout046--0.0
J A J NussbaumerbKay1714--14.3
G J Richnotout4417--100.0
B A Queripelnotout224--100.0
Extras (b1, lb0, w7, nb1)9
Total (for 9 wkts in 50 overs)217
Fall of wickets
1-79(Oliver),2-160(Frith),3-171(Ravenscroft),4-184(Smit),5-209(Savident),6-210(Le Prevost),7-210(Ferbrache),8-210(Moherndl),9-214(Nussbaumer)

MATCH

Guernsey Press

‘Guernsey generosity knows no bounds’                              by Aaron Scoones

Unbelievable.

That was the word that was used a lot at the KGV on Saturday after an astonishing collapse by the island side saw them lose to Jersey.  It was a bewildering climax to the 2008 ICC European Division Two Championship which would see the winner of the match crowned champions and possibly get the opportunity to play bottom-placed Division One team Norway in a play-off match next year.
It had looked like Guernsey were going to be that side when they were cruising for victory at 209 for four and requiring a further 10 runs from four overs.  To use a sporting metaphor – the green ribbons were already on the cup. 
But the Sarnians capitulated in the face of pressure to lose five wickets for five runs to end one run short.  People around the ground were gobsmacked as Jersey celebrated deliriously.
The person who summed up the mood the best was Jersey coach Peter Kirsten.  The former South African test and World Cup cricketer has seen some strange things on a cricket pitch in his career but he was astounded with what had unfolded in front of him.  “We played some poor cricket, I’m surprised we won,” he said, “It was a great game of cricket.  I thought 218 was a good score then Guernsey got off to a good start.  I was really impressed by their opening pair.  I thought we had lost it but Guernsey gave it back to us.”
After winning the toss and opting to bat, Jersey captain Matt Hague must have regretted his decision as he watched his top three batsmen – Pete Gough, Ian Crocker and Andy Dewhurst – all go cheaply to leave the Reds reeling at 42 for three.
But Hague, together with former Worcestershire and Lancashire professional cricketer Ryan Driver, put on a stand of 109.
Hague went for 35 and left-hander Driver looked very impressive indeed as he hit an undefeated 113 from 141 balls.  He was helped by some poor bowling from the Guernsey seamers who at times seemed intent on feeding him.  He hit one straight six off GH Smit but the shot that stuck out most was a reverse sweep off the part-time off spinner that seared down the slope to the boundary just behind point.
Thanks to Driver, Jersey’s total of 218 looked imposing enough , but that was before Lee Savident and Matt Oliver had walked onto the pitch to open the innings for Guernsey.  The pair never looked like they were in trouble as they comfortably took runs off Jersey’s seam attack.  They took Guernsey past the 50 mark in the 10th over and had put on 79 for the first wicket before Oliver went, caught off a leading edge by Anthony Kay at mid-off from the bowling of Chris Jones.

Matt Oliver                             ICC/CricketEurope

Jeremy Frith continued where Oliver had left off and went about patiently knocking off the target.
Hague was running out of options as Savident and Frith took Guernsey past 150, so he turned to the friendly spin of Sam Dewhurst and Pete Gough. They initially did not have much affect but in Dewhurst’s third over the leg spinner struck when he bowled a full toss to Frith who, instead of sending it sailing over the rope, hit it straight back at the bowler.  This bizarre dismissal was a sign of things to come.
Tim Ravenscroft was run out for one and number five Smit went cheaply when he danced down the wicket to smack a Gough full toss but missed and was bowled.

GH Smit bowled by a full-toss                       ICC/CricketEurope

However, there was no panic at this stage as Guernsey captain Stuart Le Prevost joined Savident at the crease.  Former Hampshire county cricketer Savident was in imperious form and made batting look easy as he worked towards his century.
They took the Greens past 200 but on 209, a figure that will be inscribed in the minds of the Guernsey supporters at the KGV, the wheels came off spectacularly.
The catalyst for this monumental collapse was Savident going for 98 when he went for a ridiculous second run off a misfield by Jonny Gough and was run out by a country mile.

A disappointed Lee Savident troops off with victory in sight               ICC/CricketEurope

Le Prevost was next to go for 15, lbw to the pace of Kay, who had replaced Dewhurst. What followed was just earth shattering for the large home support as both Ben Ferbrache and Kris Moherndl were both run out for ducks in the same over. Veteran Gary Rich joined Jamie Nussbaumer with the score on 210 and with two wickets to left.
Eight runs for a tie would have given the championship to Guernsey due to a better run rate, and they took three runs off the penultimate over bowled by Jones.
A single off the first ball of the last over bowled by Kay saw Nussbaumer play one dot ball, before the young Cobo all-rounder went for an almighty heave and was bowled.
Blane Queripel came in and two singles later he found himself facing the last ball needing two runs to tie the match, three for outright victory.  He could only scramble a single much to the unabated joy of the Jersey team and the disbelief of the Guernsey crowd.

Guernsey snatch defeat from the jaws of victory as Jersey celebrate                          ICC/CricketEurope

Cricket Europe article:

Jersey snatched the European Division 2 title from Guernsey by just one run in a sensational finish to the tournament at the KGV ground in Guernsey.
Chasing a target of 218 in 50 overs, Guernsey was poised for victory at 209 for four wickets at the end of the 47th over. A tie was all that they needed due to their superior run rate going into the deciding match.
But it suddenly went all wrong for Guernsey whose progress to their target had been utterly serene earlier in their innings. Matt Oliver (45), Jeremy Frith (37) and Lee Savident with a quite magnificent 98 before he ran himself out going for an ill-judged second run following a misfield at mid off, had put their side in total control as the local supporters were preparing to salute a resounding victory over their Channel Island rivals.
But it all went wrong in a matter of just a few minutes. Captain Stuart Le Prevost was leg before to the first ball of the 48th over, bowled by Anthony Kay, and then two suicidal run outs in the same over accounted for Justin Ferbrache and Kris Moherndl without further addition to the score. Jamie Nussbaumer was bowled by Kay at the start of the final over, which began with Guernsey still needing six more runs. With one ball remaining three runs were required by the batsmen could manage just a leg bye. This was the signal for wild celebrations by the Jersey team which could not quite believe that they had won a match that seemed to have long gone from its grasp.
Earlier Jersey had compiled 217 for five wickers, an innings built around a quite magnificent 113 not out from Ryan Driver, scored from 151 balls and containing 10 fours and a six. Like Savident later in the day, he score freely all round the wicket and no bowler troubled him in the least. Captain Matthew Hague gave him fine support with 35, while Savident was the best of the Guernsey bowlers with two wickets for 27 runs.

REVIEW

‘How can we stop it happening all over again?’   by Aaron Scoones

A week has passed but it’s still hurting.  Seven days ago Guernsey threw away the ICC European Division Two Championship when they lost a staggering five wickets for five runs to finish one short of Jersey’s total of 218.
Sorry, I can’t bring myself to write any more about the facts of the match.

So what went wrong?
The simple answer is that Guernsey’s young cricketers could not handle the pressure.  A lot has already been said about Cobo’s dominance of the island team and as a result our best batsmen are not facing our best bowlers in competitive situations.  And of course Cobo are absolutely walking every competition going and look set to take a clean sweep of everything.  By all accounts a couple of Cobo players are thinking of moving at the end of the season, which will strengthen the leagues.
And there is also mention of the Channel Islands competition expanding next year. Going by last week’s performance, it is clear that both of those things need to happen.  Our best players are not experiencing enough tight competitive matches that throw up situations where you have got to tough it out.  The way we collapsed proved that.

Jersey team with the trophy after winning the final                             ICC/CricketEurope

Another idea is that our best young players need tough love.  You can have all the Sussex coaches, matching tracksuits, ice-baths and sponsored sunglasses you want, but if you wilt in the face of a little bit of heat, then there is no point. Sending them off to spend a season playing in a top English league, such as the Birmingham or Bradford leagues, would soon harden them up.  But the downside of this is they will be taken out of our leagues.
The answer in my mind is to send them off to Australia for the winter to play grade cricket there or to South Africa.  And in reciprocal arrangements, have good young Australians and South Africans come over here to strengthen our game. Ben Taylor at Wanderers has shown what a benefit that is.  The club was predicted to finish bottom of the weekend league but thanks to the all-rounder from Sydney they were second.

Stats:

Lee Savident was 2nd highest scorer in the competition with 98 v Jersey and he was 1st in the aggregate list with 236.

Jeremy Frith was 2nd in the leading wicket taker with 11 wickets. His best bowling was 1st with 5 for 25 v France and also 2nd with 4 for 18 v Croatia.

Jeremy Frith and Lee Savident took part in the 2nd highest artnership with 105 v Croatia.