World Cup T20 Euro Qualifier 2026 – Jersey

at Happy Valley Ground 2, Cyprus
on Saturday 23rd May 2026
Toss won by Guernsey who elected to bat
Match number T20I no. 3903
Umpires Gareth Morrison (Ire) Rizwan Akram (Neth)
Reserve Umpire Iain McDonald (Sco)
Match Referee Graham McCrea (Ire)
Jersey won by 4 wkts
Player Of The Match Zak Tribe (J)

Guernsey Innings  RunBall4s6sSR Jersey BowlingOvMdnRunWktER
Lucas Barkerlbwb Carlyon150020George Richardson201507.5
Josh Butlerc Carlyonb Z Tribe504133121.95Harrison Carlyon302127
Tom Nightingalec Sumerauerb Carlyon201531133.33Dominic Blampied402706.75
Matthew Stokesc Tribeb Perchard790077.78Julius Sumerauer2021010.5
Ollie Nightingalec Perchardb Tribe31361186.11Charles Perchard201517.5
Isaac DamarellNot out121110109.09Benjamin Ward402305.75
Martin-Dale BradleyNot out9401225Zak Tribe301023.33
Charlie Forshawdnb
Adam Marteldnb
Ed Robinsondnb
Luke Bicharddnb
Extra(b 5, w 1, nb 1, lb 2)9
Total(for 5 wkts)139
Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Lucas Barker - 1.1 ov), 2-35 (Tom Nightingale - 5.2 ov), 3-47 (Matthew Stokes - 7.1 ov), 4-113 (Josh Butler - 16.5 ov), 5-128 (Ollie Nightingale - 18.4 ov)

Jersey Innings  RunBall4s6sSR Guernsey BowlingOvMdnRunWktER
Harrison Carlyonc J Butlerb L Bichard230066.67Charlie Forshaw3030010
Patrick Gougec J Butlerb A Martel221222183.33Luke Bichard301826
Nick Greenwoodc T Nightingaleb A Martel10801125Adam Martel402927.25
Jonty Jennerc L Bichardb MWR Stokes171411121.43Martin-D Bradley4045011.25
Zak TribeNot out544015135Matthew Stokes401824.5
Julius Sumerauerb MWR Stokes03000
Charlie Brennanc(sub - Ferbrache)b L Bichard201811111.11
Benjamin WardNot out121001120
Charles Perchard (c)dnb
Dominic Blampieddnb
George Richardson dnb
Extra(b 0, w 3, nb 0, lb 0)3
Total(in 18ov for 6 wkts)140
Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Harrison Carlyon - 1.6 ov), 2-25 (Patrick Gouge - 2.5 ov), 3-42 (Nick Greenwood - 4.4 ov), 4-61 (Jonty Jenner - 7.2 ov), 5-61 (Julius Sumerauer - 7.5 ov), 6-100 (Charlie Brennan - 13.6 ov)

‘CI rivals to meet in final’ by Gareth Le Prevost Guernsey Press 21st May 2026

Guernsey stumbled over the line but crucially they got the job done and now face a massive showdown with their old foes Jersey on Saturday. The Sarnians have booked their place in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Europe sub-regional qualifier in Cyprus having completed their group stage with a 100% record of four wins from four yesterday with a four-wicket win over Slovenia that was far more nervy than it needed to be. The bowlers had done an excellent job to restrict dangerous opponents to 99 all out, backed up by some excellent fielding once again on a very windy day at the Happy Valley ground, but the top-order batters then made heavy weather of the run chase. They were seemingly in two minds whether to get their target quickly or use the overs available and slipped to 62 for 5 at one stage.

Ollie Nightingale and Martin-Dale Bradley steadied the ship, though, and while the skipper was unable to see the job through, teenager Ed Robinson joined his Irregulars club-mate to take them to victory with more than fivers to spare. ‘These tournaments are all about getting over the line, we’ve done that today and we caught an bowled well, which is the positive to take today,’ said the Guernsey captain. ‘ This was a game we might have lost previously, so we’re happy to get over the line and we’ll wipe the slate clean now and move on to Saturday,’ added Nightingale, who knows Jersey will provide the toughest test of the lot this week. Adam Martel set the tone for the good work in the field after Slovenia had won the toss and elected to bat with his first two overs being wicket maidens. Pace off was the way to go for the Greens and skipper Nightingale turned to part-time off-spinner Josh Butler, described by his captain as a ‘reluctant bowler’, and he got the big wicket of Slovenia captain Izaz Ali with his second delivery, safely pouched by Ben Ferbrache at long-off. Butler went on to take three economical wickets from his four overs while leg-spinner Bradley also bowled tidily before the seamers finished things off in the later overs with Ed Robinson claiminga couple of wickets and there was one apiece for Matt Stokes and Luke Bichard.

However, the low run chase proved to be anything other than straightforward with Butler and Tom Nightingale falling cheaply in the powerplay before Lucas Barker and Matt Stokes departed to consecutive deliveries as Guernsey were reduced to53 for 4in the eight over. Zak Damarell did not last long either, but with the Sovenians sensing a remarkable comeback, skipper Nightingale and Bradley guided their side to within 10 of victory. The latter finished things in style with a pull for six in the 15th over and afterwards Butler was named as man of the match. ‘I’m not in the team for my bowling usually, but it was but it was nice to get four overs and get the win,’ Butler said. ‘It is just a case of trying to minimize the bad balls because we know they’re going to try and clear the ropes and once the ball is in the air, we know we catch well.’

‘Hopes of pulling off a Cyprus upset undone by Jersey’s depth’ by Gareth Le Prevost Guernsey Press 25th May 2026

Guernsey gave Jersey a real scare in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Europe sub-regional qualifier in Cyprus on Saturday – but the Reds strength in depth eventually got them over the line. Having set the tournament favourites a modest target of 140 for victory, the Sarnians reduced Jersey to 61 for 5 at one stage in their run chase and started to dream that a major upset could be on the cards. However a fine half-century from man-of-the-match Zak Tribe, who was well supported initially by Charlie Brennan and then Ben Ward, saw Jersey to a four-wicket victory with two overs to spare. Tribe, the brother of Glamorgan and England Lions batter Asa, finished unbeaten on 54 from 40 balls with five sixes and a four to his name. Luke Bichard, Adam Martel and Matt Stokes all picked up a couple of wickets for Guernsey. Earlier Josh Butler had made an impressive 50 from 41 balls with three fours and three sixes while there were valuable contributions from skipper Ollie Nightingale (31) and his brother Tom (20) as the Greens posted 139 for 5 after winning the toss and electing to bat. However, the captain admitted afterwards that they were probably 20 runs short of what they wanted wit the bat as they tried to put Jersey under pressure. ‘Twenty more runs, stay in the game a bit longer, try and make something happen,’ Nightingale said. ‘But credit to them, they bowled really nicely. Perhaps we wern’t brave enough, but they made it difficult.’

‘We are getting closer’ says Guernsey captain Gareth Le Prevost Guernsey Press 26th May 2026

Guernsey captain Ollie Nightingale believes his side are continuing to improve – but Jersey continue to set the standard at sub-regional level in Europe. The Sarnians fought hard and gave the Caesareans a fright in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Europe sub-regional qualifier in Cyprus on Saturday, but ultimately the strength in depth possessed by Jersey saw them over the line on what was a memorable weekend for the Tribe brothers. While Zak was producing a man-of-the-match performance with bat and ball against Guernsey, his younger sibling Asa was making a century for the England Lions. [against St Africa A]

However, Nightingale took the positives from the steps the Greens are making at senior level. ‘We came here and made the final, which was the first job, and then we’ve given Jersey a good game,’ he said. ‘We’re getting closer. The game are always competitive now, which is a good start, and hopefully next time we’ll get over the line.’

The Guernsey skipper had opted to try and get runs on the board to put Jersey under the sort of pressure they had not tasted during the group stage in Cyprus when he won the toss and elected to bat. Opener Josh Butler continued his good form with 50 from 41 balls and there were decent contributions from both Nightingale brothers, but the desired acceleration towards the end of the innings did not materialise with Tribe being particularly miserly in his three overs, claiming 2 for 10, as Guernsey were restricted to 139 which was 20 short of where they wanted to be.

The bowlers rose to the challenge, though, and reduced Jersey to 61 for 5 inside eight overs. Luke Bichard got the ball rolling with the big scalp of Harrison Carlyon before Adam Martel added the wickets of Patrick Gouge and Nick Greenwood in the powerplay. Matt Stokes removed both Jonty Jenner and Julius Sumerauer in the same over to raise Guernsey hopes, but then Tribe steadied the ship for Jersey and led his side to victory with a couple of overs to spare with help from Charlie Brennan and Ben Ward. ‘I started to believe,’ said captain Nightingale. ‘We’ve played them a lot. We know they’re competitive all the way down, they bat really deep, so yeah, I believed. I was hoping, but it wasn’t quite meant to be today and Tribey batted really nicely.’ Tribe gave the Greens credit for the way they came out after the interval. ‘Guernsey bowled very well in that second innings, they put us under a lot of pressure and took wickets at good times, so I knew I had to try and take it as deep as I could and thankfully it came off today, so very happy,’ said the man of the match. Jersey skipper, Chuggy Perchard, admitted that ‘it was bit nervy’ when his side had lost 5 wickets. ‘At the halfway stage with 140 just to chase, absolutely delighted with that. I think it was a terrific effort with the ball in the field,’ he said. ‘ A nervy run chase, but we got over the line in the end. we bat all the way down and Brennan, Wardy, Zak haven’t actually had that much batting to do this week, but it just shows the quality in our batting line-up.’

BBC Sport England 23 May 2026 Brent Pilnick
Jersey survived a batting collapse to beat Channel Island rivals Guernsey and win ICC 2028 T20 World Cup Sub Regional Europe Qualifier A.

The four-wicket victory means Jersey will progress to the final round of qualifying for the T20 World Cup for the sixth time.

Josh Butler hit 50 for Guernsey as Jersey restricted his side to 139-5 off their 20 overs in Cyprus. In reply, Jersey slumped to 61-5 in the eighth over, but rallied to reach 140-6 off 18 overs as Zak Tribe scored 54 not out. Harrison Carlyon took two wickets with the ball and caught Guernsey’s top scorer Josh Butler

Having won the toss, Guernsey opted to bat first but lost opener Lucas Barker for one with the first ball of the second over as Harrison Carlyon trapped him lbw to leave the Sarnians on 7-1. Barker’s replacement Tom Nightingale had looked confident but was caught off Carlyon’s bowling for 20 off 12 balls as Guernsey moved on to 35-2 off 5.2 overs. They had more trouble when Matt Stokes was caught off Charles Perchard’s first delivery for seven as Guernsey slipped to 47-3 in the eighth over. Opener Butler and captain Ollie Nightingale steadied the innings with a 66-run stand – the former made 50 off 41 balls, including three sixes, before being caught by Carlyon off Tribe’s bowling to leave Guernsey on 113-4 off 16.5 overs. Nightingale was caught by Perchard for 31 off 36 balls after a poor sweep to hand Tribe his second wicket as Guernsey were left on 128-5 with just eight balls to go. Tribe finished with figures of 2-10 and Carlyon had 2-21 as Guernsey ended on 139-5 – their lowest first-innings total of the tournament.

Guernsey came close to progressing from this stage of qualifying for just the second time in their history. Jersey’s reply got off to a difficult start – Carlyon was caught for two, hooking Luke Bichard into the wind, while Patrick Gouge hit 22 off 12 balls before he was caught off Adam Martel to leave Jersey on 25-2 off 3.5 overs. Jersey slumped to 42-3 five balls later when Nick Greenwood was caught for 10 off eight balls as Martel claimed his second wicket. It got worse for the favourites when the big-hitting Jonty Jenner (17) and his replacement Julius Sumerauer (0) were dismissed in the space of three balls by Matt Stokes as Jersey were reduced to 61-5 off 7.1 overs. But Tribe and Charlie Brennan came together for a vital sixth-wicket stand as they moved Jersey back above the run rate. The pair made 39 before Brennan was caught by Ben Ferbrache on 20 as Bichard took his second wicket to leave Jersey on 100-6 with six overs to go. But Tribe – the brother of England Lions and Glamorgan player Asa – and Ben Ward saw Jersey home. Tribe hit five sixes in a 40-ball knock as he and Ward’s 40-run stand sent the Jersey fans wild and broke Guernsey’s hearts. “It was an incredible run chase,” Jersey skipper Perchard told BBC Radio Jersey. “Chasing 140 should have been an easy task, but a few early wickets that we lost put a bit of pressure on our middle order who haven’t had too much batting to do this week. “But we always talk about the depth in our line up and that was clearly on show today with a great 50 from Zak Tribe and he was well supported by Charlie Brennan and Ben Ward. “The top order had been so good for us so far, this tournament that we haven’t really had to rely too much on the middle and lower order. “They haven’t hit too many balls all week, but they came out and showed their quality today, so I’m really pleased for those guys who’ve had a quiet week but played a really important event in the final.”