Inter Insular #21 1972

The match was played at FB Fields,Jersey
on Saturday 19th August 1972
for the Players Gold Leaf Trophy
Umpires J Le Poidevin (Guernsey) and G Knight (Jersey)
Scorers J J Henry (Guernsey) and Mrs R Robertson (Jersey)
Toss won by Guernsey who elected to bat
Match drawn

Guernsey innings					Runs	Balls	Mins	4s	6s	SR		Jersey bowling	Ov	Mdn	Runs	Wkts	W	Nb	SR	ER
N K Howick	c	Conway	b	Kearns	46	-	64	6	0			Hamilton	12	1	38	0	0	0		3.2
A C Taylor	c	Conway	b	Hird	25	-	75	2	0			Hird	19	5	67	3	0	4	38	3.5
R W Mills	c	Weaver	b	Jones	13	-	49	1	0			Kearns	15	6	31	1	0	0	90	2.1
M J Mechem	st	Reynolds	b	Le Cras	43	-	85	3	0			Jones	15	2	57	1	0	0	90	3.8
R C Kimber	c	Le Cras	b	Hird	25	-	49	1	0			Le Cras	4	0	30	1	0	0	24	7.5
W E R Barrett	not	out			58	-	35	8	2
+†M A Fooks	c	Le Cras	b	Hird	11	-	21	0	0
P L Le Cocq	not	out			2	-	10	0	0
*S J Hollyer-Hill	dnb
C J Gervaise-Brazier	dnb
M Wherry	dnb
Extras (b12, lb6, w0, nb4)					22
Total (for 6 wkts dec. in 65 overs)					245
Fall of wickets
1-72(Howick),2-80(Taylor),3-103(Mills),4-169(Mechem),5-173(Kimber),6-223(Fooks)

Jersey innings					Runs	Balls	Mins	4s	6s	SR		Guernsey bowling	Ov	Mdn	Runs	Wkts	W	Nb	SR	ER
P Osment	lbw		b	Le Cocq	0	-	2	0	0			Le Cocq	13	5	25	2	0	1	39	1.9
L Bechelet	c	Mechem	b	Le Cocq	33	-	74	5	0			Gervaise-Brazier	11	4	48	2	0	0	33	4.4
A Conway	lbw		b	Gervaise-Brazier	4	-	20	0	0			Barrett	16	2	75	2	0	0	48	4.7
*D C Hunt	c	Mills	b	Gervaise-Brazier	7	-	17	1	0			Wherry	3	0	22	0	0	0		7.3
M Weaver	c	Hollyer-Hill	b	Barrett	58	-	71	6	1			Howick	8	2	30	2	0	0	24	3.8
P Le Cras	c	Le Cocq	b	Barrett	38	-	61	7	0
H Jones	not	out			50	-	38	3	3
R Hird			b	Howick	10	-	5	2	0
+†J Reynolds	c	Barrett	b	Howick	0	-	2	0	0
I Hamilton	not	out			0	-	6	0	0
I Kearns	dnb
Extras (b8, lb4, w0, nb1)					13
Total (for 5 wickets in 52.5 overs)					213
Fall of wickets
1-0(Osment),2-13(Conway),3-31(Hunt),4-74(Bechelet),5-139(Weaver),6-191(Le Cras),7-202(Hird),8-202(Reynolds)

PREVIEW

‘Inter-island cricket newcomers’ by John Le Poidevin
Jersey’s cricket team for next Saturday’s inter-island match at F.B. Fields, Jersey, contains two newcomers to the series and two notable omissions.
Newcomers are Ian Hamilton and Richard Hird and the two who were expected to get in the side are Mervyn Conway and Ray Pearce. Mick Weaver and possibly skipper David Hunt probably got in the side on the strength of their showing at the College Field, last Sunday, for neither apparently has enjoyed a great deal of success in Jersey cricket.
The team is:
D. Hunt (Old Vics, Capt) P. Osment (St Helier OB), L. Bechelet (St Ouen), A. Conway (Civil Service), H. Jones (St Ouen), P. Le Cras (Caesareans), M. Weaver (Springfield), I. Hamilton (Caesareans), I. Kearns (Civil Service), J. Reynolds (Caesareans, wkt), R. Hird (St Ouen). 12th man J. Poynton.
The Jersey Cricket Association agreed at their meeting this week to two requests from the Guernsey cricket selectors. So there will be a full six hours’ play scheduled; and in the last hour 20 overs will, if necessary, be played.
I understand that a request had also been made for the match to be decided on a limited overs basis. There have, in fact, been only verbal exchanges on this point. But rest assured that machinery will be put into motion for limited overs inter-insulars in future years.

‘Forcing pace will be Guernsey best hope’ by John Le Poidevin

If Saturday’s inter-insular cricket match at the F.B. Fields, Jersey, is drawn it will almost certainly be the last in the series to be played over the traditional all-day fixture hours. And I feel certain that the match, the top one in the C.I. cricket calendar, will, in fact, end drawn.
What is required is a positive approach by both captains – and I have no doubts whatsoever that Simon Hollyer-Hill, the Guernsey skipper, is going down to Jersey looking for victory.
It is Jersey’s attitude that concerns me. Over the years they have avoided defeat on several occasions; won only when Guernsey have either played dreadfully or when they had a player of Howeson’s ability. I didn’t expect this year’s Guernsey team to fold cheaply. And Jersey certainly have no-one in their bowling line-up to cause our batsmen too much concern.
The wicket is expected to be firm and fast – one which our bowlers may not be able to exploit, for we have no great pace. What Guernsey would like is a tricky wicket of which Warren Barrett could take advantage. Guernsey’s best hopes of winning for the first time in years is to bat first and set about the Jersey bowling. Once Tony Taylor and Keith Howick have formed a base they should attack – as well they can – and this approach should be continued by the other batsmen.
Guernsey will need a big total in good time to enable them to bowl out Jersey. And on this pitch Hollyer-Hill could be faced with a huge declaration problem. He will have to bear in mind that in Alan Conway and Harry Jones Jersey have really prolific run-scorers. Quite frankly they are the only ones I can see in the Jersey side with the potential to rip our bowling apart. If Jersey bat first we can expect the old routine. They will bat for a pretty big percentage of the available minutes – unless Messrs Conway and Jones have ‘gone run crazy’ and establish a huge score quickly.
Last year Jersey managed only 63 in the two-hour pre-lunch session. They went on to bat 187 minutes leaving Guernsey 128 minutes batting. On this occasion one could not blame Jersey for their after lunch batting, for Guernsey bowlers were getting among their wickets. Jersey were eventually dismissed for only 118 but Guernsey did not seize the initiative and the match ended in dramatic style and in a manner in which Jersey undeservedly could have won. Guernsey’s last batsman Mick Wherry had to go in to face the last ball needing three runs for victory. He swung, missed, and the match was drawn. It would have been a tragedy had he been dismissed. Guernsey on that occasion would probably have won if a positive approach had been made through the innings rather than only near the end, by which time wickets were sacrificed in a sudden search for victory.
A great deal depends on Taylor and Howick – and they are right in the groove just now. Good luck to them and the team in general. Guernsey have waited sufficiently long for a win in this series. Guernsey’s team is in the right mood. They had a terrific work out at the College Field on Tuesday evening. ‘Gerve’ Brazier, a surprise choice, bowled superbly.

Keith Howick  Tony Taylor  Ricky Mills  ‘Gerve’ Brazier  Micky Fooks  Warren Barrett

Simon Hollyer-Hill  Mick Mechem  Mick Wherry  Bob Kimber   (Pierre Le Cocq absent)

MATCH

‘Thrills but no result in cricket’ by John Le Poidevin
It was expected that Saturday’s inter-island cricket match would be drawn and it was. But it could not have been expected that there would be so many thrilling moments in the day’s cricket.
Guernsey left the F.B. Fields in Jersey with most of the credit making the home side fight uphill throughout the match which was played in beautiful sunshine.
Simon Hollyer-Hill won the toss and elected to bat after viewing the rock-hard wicket for some considerable time. It proved to be a wise decision. Guernsey scored 245 for six in 19 minutes and Hollyer-Hill’s sporting declaration left Jersey 92 minutes plus 20 overs. At stumps Jersey were 213 for eight but no-one should read into this that they were on the brink of defeat. Indeed, for a few overs it was on the cards that Jersey could win. With 20 overs to go they needed 139 for victory with six wickets in hand. They knocked off 53 of these for the loss of Weaver in 10 overs.
At this stage the experienced Philip Le Cras and hard-hitting Harry Jones were going well and when Jones was dropped three times in five deliveries a win for Jersey seemed likely. But Guernsey fought back. Pierre Le Cocq took a fine slip catch to dismiss Le Cras with the score at 191 and soon Keith Howick bowled a dream over – a double wicket maiden, Jersey had to ‘shut up shop’.
It had been an absorbing match. Howick set the scene with an admirable on-drive to the boundary off the second delivery as if to show his scorn for the lbw appeal off the first. He continued this confident style but fellow opener Tony Taylor looked rather ill at ease especially against the pace of Richard Hird who was getting movement and lift.
Then started an amazing chapter of dropped catches. No fewer than eight chances were grounded in the innings and five were off Hird’s admirable bowling. Five catches went down and some of the Jersey fielding was below the expected standard while Howick and Taylor were putting on 68 for the first hour.
It was ironic that when Howick did go – having scored a fine 46 – it was to a brilliant catch at backward short leg by Alan Conway who dropped three catches. Taylor was caught by Conway soon afterwards and the Guernsey batsmen started to see something in the wicket which was not there. The scoring rate dropped noticeably. Mills holed out to long on before the lunch interval when Guernsey were 109 for three.

Ricky Mills defends                                         GEP

The lively action was to follow with Mechem who was dropped first ball and Bob Kimber putting on 66 runs in great style. Warren Barrett came in to play a gem of an innings and his 58 not out in only 35 minutes enabled Hollyer-Hill to make his declaration.

Tico Mechem gets ready to play a ball from Harry Jones with wicketkeeper Reynolds

 and former Guernsey player Alan Conway looking on                                      GEP

Pierre Le Cocq had Peter Osment leg before in the first over of the Jersey innings and Alan Conway soon went to leave Jersey on the defensive. But with fine play by Mick Weaver and later Harry Jones Jersey took their total within reach of victory. Le Cocq bowled extremely well but had to give up with a pulled groin muscle or Jersey may not have got on top as they did.

The Jersey Post was clearly not impressed with Jersey’s batting early on:
The start of the Jersey innings was deplorable as Osment played a stroke not to be found in any manual to Le Cocq’s 6th ball and was plainly lbw.