ICC World T20 European Finals Guernsey 2019

Guernsey v Italy

at College Field, St Peter Port
on Sunday 16th June 2019
Toss won by Guernsey who elected to field
Umpires: A Wharf and M Waldron 3rd umpire H Kearns
Scorers: J Mountford and M Kinder
Italy won by 11 runs
Man of the match S Munasinghe (Italy)

Italy Innings  RunsBalls4s6sSR Guernsey bowlingOvMdnRunWktE/RWDNB
BBJL Pererac Ferbracheb Le Tissier472853167.85TCW Veillard403017.500
Manpreet Singh †c &b Le Tissier22291175.86WA Peatfield402716.7510
NA Maioloc &b Hooper7100070ACF Stokes403017.510
GP Meadec &b Le Tissier6410150DR Hooper3.201323.900
MJ Rossrun out (Hooper)671085.71LC Le Tissier401734.2510
Anam Mollikrun out (Hooper)9101090
Rakibul Hasanc Hooperb ACF Stokes5310166.66
Baljit Singhc MWR Stokesb Peatfield3100030
GRD Munasinghe *b Veillard140025
Charanjeet Singhnot out891088.88
S Arachchigeb Hooper02000
Extras(lb 4, w 3)7
TOTAL(in 19.2 Overs)121(at 6.25)
Fall of wickets: 1-70 (Manpreet Singh, 9.1 ov), 2-75 (Joy Perera, 9.5 ov), 3-86 (Gian Meade, 11.2 ov), 4-88 (Nicholas Maiolo, 12.2 ov), 5-101 (Michael Ross, 13.3 ov), 6-107 (Rakibul Hasan, 14.4 ov), 7-109 (Anam Mollik, 15.1 ov), 8-110 (Gayashan Munasinghe, 16.1 ov), 9-117 (Baljit Singh, 18.4 ov), 10-121 (Shameera Arachchige, 19.2 ov)

Guernsey Innings  RunsBalls4s6sSR Italy bowlingOvMdnRunWktE/R0s4s6sWDNB
AS Wrightc †Manpreet Singhb Munasinghe01000GRD Munasinghe411142.75150010
MWR Stokesc Anam Mollikb Baljit Singh11152073.33NA Maiolo401614152010
J Butler *c Munasingheb Rakibul Hasan12191163.15Rakibul Hasan403117.7592200
LJ Barkerb Maiolo130033.33Baljit Singh20121661010
DR Hooperb Munasinghe18271066.66Charanjeet Singh30181691100
LB Ferbrachec Rossb Charanjeet Singh554333127.9MJ Ross101001030110
TCR Kimber †b Munasinghe120050S Arachchige201105.541000
LC Le Tissiernot out7600116.66
ACF Stokesb Munasinghe04000
TCW Veillarddnb
WA Peatfielddnb
Extras(lb 1, w 4)5
TOTAL(for 8 wkts in 20 Overs)110(at 5.50)
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Ashley Wright, 0.1 ov), 2-16 (Josh Butler, 4.4 ov), 3-26 (Lucas Barker, 5.6 ov), 4-26 (Matthew Stokes, 6.2 ov), 5-92 (David Hooper, 17.1 ov), 6-94 (Tom Kimber, 17.4 ov), 7-104 (Ben Ferbrache, 18.4 ov), 8-110 (Anthony Stokes, 19.6 ov)

‘Greens’ sorry hat-trick’   by Rob Batiste       GEP

ITALY and Jersey have been quick to make their mark at the ICC T20 Europe Final, but the poor old hosts are already in a battle to avoid the wooden spoon. Successive comprehensive defeats at the hands of Jersey and Germany, followed by a battling and pride-restoring loss against Italy has wrecked the Greens’ hopes of qualifying for the autumn World Qualifier and the manner of two of the losses should be of concern to the men driving Guernsey cricket. But for an outstanding boundary catch by Italy’s Ross in the penultimate over at the College Field last evening, Ben Ferbrache might have heroically won the game for the Greens, but Ferbrache went for a superb 55 and with it his side’s chances. The writing was on the Guernsey dressing room wall in terms of a third straight loss from early on after inserting the Italians under more grey skies. The burly Joy Perera and his opening partner. Manpreet Singh were in no mood for messing around as they went in search of their third win. The pair smashed 30 off the first three and both cleared the ropes as the spinners, Tom Veillard and Anthony Stokes, proved welcome fodder. Perera would rattle along for a while with a strike rate in excess of 200, three times clearing the boundary, once hitting clean out of the ground and even threatening the sanctuary of the old pavilion. The initial six-over powerplay would yield 55 and from the Italian viewpoint it was sheer Joy from Perera for several overs, and even when he had fallen for a very brisk 47 Munasinghe’s men pressed on in an effort to set a formidable total. But the Italians made a real mess of things and combining some inspired fielding from the homesters and a fine spell of spin from Luke Le Tissier (three for 17) the blues were bowled out in the final over.

Josh Butler, the Guernsey skipper, looked shell-shocked after a third loss. ‘The second half with the ball we came back well and clawed it back nicely with a good fielding performance, but then again [we were] not great with the bat which was very disappointing. ‘Ben did well and the turning point was a good piece of fielding from them to get Ben out. Had it gone for six we then needed 12 off eight and in the driving seat. Little moments like that win games.’

‘Hail Ben – the nearly hero’     by Rob Batiste       GEP

DENMARK are next up for struggling Guernsey at KGV this morning as day four of the ICC T20 Europe Championship final gets under way.

And amid the puns relating to bacon, the Greens know that there is much self-improvement required to avoid a 4 and 0 losing record with the game against Norway to come. But after two largely dispiriting displays on Saturday Josh Butler’s side should take some heart and pride from the narrow loss to potential champions Italy, because had it not been for one stupendous boundary catch by Michael Ross, Ben Ferbrache may just have gone on to win a highly entertaining game for the home side. You had to feel sorry for ‘Ferby’ – or, as the ICC You Tube commentator kept saying during Saturday’s game against Germany, Lee Fairbrash, oblivious to the fact that the long-serving Guernsey regular does not use his first name and the lingual slants of Franco-Sarnia surnames. The bare stats show that ‘Ferby’ hit a 43-ball 55, three times clearing the ropes on a big outfield. Had the ball that dismissed him not been snapped up by Ross on the run, who in the knowledge that he would carry it out threw it into the air before re-catching while in play, Guernsey would have begun the final over as marginal favourites, even if Italy’s impressively rapid skipper Munasinghe would have been a formidable opponent even for a player suddenly in prime form. But, true to his international career in general, ‘Ferby’ could not quite get it over the line. Here is a player with so many admirable qualities, but turning domestic potential into match-winning performance in island colours has been a struggle. This was so nearly his day and many at the GCB and his long-standing mates would have been aware of that. We had, though, already seen enough to suggest that in his 30s and one of the side’s few ‘old timers’, this highly-popular cricketer is ready to flourish on this stage and perhaps it is time he is given more responsibility and a position higher up an order where, after the top three, nobody is remotely impressing. Other than the Fairbrash, Ross’s catch and Munasinghe’s splendid bowling, there was much to admire about this game. Guernsey’s out-fielding finally went up a few notches, with Dave Hooper inspirational in that regard, a fine spell of off-spin by Luke Le Tissier, and the clean hitting of Italy opener Joy Perera, who smote the ball long and very far.

Tournament fielding and Dunford catch the eye                   by Rob Batiste GEP

WERE you to pick a T20 Europe Championship XI at the half-way-stage of an intriguing tournament it would surely be rammed full of Caesareans, not least because their out-cricket has been utterly brilliant. It is on a different level to the hosts and only the Italians, who take on Jersey in a tournament showdown tomorrow morning, are near Neil MacRae’s brilliantly drilled side in terms of out-cricket. There is not a weak link in this Jersey squad and in wicket-keeper Jake Dunford, perhaps a potential first-class county cricketer in the making. On Saturday, he flew yards down the leg-side to claim a superb flying catch against the old enemy, but that was a level below the remarkable skied effort he snaffled running back towards the boundary against Denmark and ended in a one-handed dive. MacRae was purring. ‘Jake impressed me in the field today but we worked really well as a fielding unit, and that was the most important thing,’ he said afterwards. ‘Right now we need to refocus on the Germany game. We have a day off to rest and recover then two big tests against Germany and Italy. It was such a good performance all round, we were brilliant with bat and with ball, and it is a really good platform to build on.’ There were more outstanding pouches in the Guernsey-Italy game, Dave Hooper’s caught and bowled among them, although it was the Michael Ross boundary catch that proved decisive. Who will go forward to the autumnal World Qualifier? You have got to strongly fancy Jersey, although if they don’t get Joy Perera out quickly at the College Field tomorrow morning, Italy might have something to say about that.

Italy, too, have plenty of depth and an excellent spearhead in the skipper Munasinghe, whose rapid pace and line demands the utmost respect and concentration from batsmen. Jersey also need to be careful of Germany all-rounder Craig Meschede when they meet at the College Field later today.