Inter Insular #52 2003

The match was played at KGV, Guernsey
on Saturday 9th August 2003
for the Cherry Godfrey Challenge Trophy
50 overs per side
Umpires Dave Bray (Guernsey) and Brian Mitchinson (Jersey)
Scorers Sue Veillard (Guernsey) and Lynne Aked (Jersey)
Toss won by Jersey who elected to bat
Guernsey won by 2 wickets

Jersey innings    RunsBallsMins4s6sSR Guernsey bowlingOvMdnRunsWktsWNbSRER
S CarlyonbFrith52821108063.4Banerjee15828112901.9
M HaguecDukebBanerjee1272740016.7Jeffery61250004.2
C Jonesnotout57791116072.2Moody71260003.7
M PatidarcBanerjeebFrith4649471393.9Rich101510015.1
M Saralisnotout26212820123.8Frith10060210306.0
T CarlyondnbDuke2090104.5
*D Gormandnb
+†S Shortdnb
M Reynoldsdnb
P Hortondnb
S Ramskilldnb
Extras (b1, lb9, w3, nb3)16
Total (for 3 wkts in 50 overs)209
Fall of wickets
1-48(Hague),2- Carlyon),3-157(Patidar)

Guernsey innings    RunsBallsMins4s6sSR Jersey bowlingOvMdnRunsWktsWNbSRER
G MilnescPatidarbSaralis1231301038.7Saralis8.313610149.84.3
M OlivercHaguebHorton714181050.0Horton13255321264.2
A BanerjeecS CarlyonbHorton4658888079.3Reynolds41130003.3
JDJ FrithlbwbHague274948.02055.1Hague8324100483.0
*A BigginscPatidarbRamskill415120026.7Ramskill4032110248.0
S E Le Prevostrunout483762100129.7T Carlyon8034100484.3
T Dukec&bHorton28210025.0Jones30100003.3
G J RichlbwbT Carlyon0711000.0
P Moodynotout41415541100.0
†+J Ferbrachenotout1233411036.4
M Jefferydnb
Extras (b4, lb3, w3, nb2)12
Total (for 8 wkts in 48.3 overs)211
Fall of wickets
1-16(Oliver),2-30(Milnes),3-72(Frith),4-91(Biggins),5-118(Banerjee),6-141(Duke),7-152(Rich),8-167(Le Prevost)

 

PREVIEW
Jersey Post
‘Sarnians go for new faces in inter-insular’
Guernsey could have at least three new faces in their inter-insular cricket team that hosts Jersey on Saturday in the Cherry Godfrey Challenge. The uncapped players are Matt Oliver, Matt Jeffery, Tim Duke and Andre van Rooyen. Duke has impressed everyone in his first season and David Hearse said it was unfortunate that he had had two injuries in quick succession. The Wanderers and NRG Pessimists all-rounder has played a bit for Essex 2nd XI mainly as an opening bowler.

[TRL Duke born 16 Oct 1977 in Saffron Walden, Essex played for twice for the 2nd XI in 1996 and 1998.]

Jersey are expecting an exceptionally tough contest against Guernsey in tomorrow’s inter-insular at Guernsey’s KGV Field. Gorman returns after missing last year because of injury. He said ‘It hurt seeing the team get beaten last year. Several things didn’t go our way on the day and hopefully we’ll get a bit of luck here and there in Guernsey and that will benefit us this time. Guernsey will start favourites because of last year and we certainly won’t underestimate them.’

‘Gorman back as captain – Jenner axed’
Dave Gorman is returning to captain Jersey in next week’s Cherry Godfrey Challenge. The Caesareans batsman skippered Jersey to three consecutive inter-insular wins from 1999 to 2001 before missing last season with a back injury. Tony Carlyon took charge for last year’s defeat but with Gorman back fit and scoring runs, there was little doubt that he would be returning to the role at the KGV. Ward Jenner, though, will not be playing. Poor form this season has meant that the Jersey selectors have omitted the former Channel Islands skipper and the man who has captained both islands in local cricket’s showpiece occasion. Jenner missed last year’s match at Grainville due to illness after having been named in the original XI. He was replaced on the day by Rob Tewkesbury, who has made the final 12 once again this time around.
Meanwhile, Mark Reynolds is also recalled and paceman Mark Saralis and leg-spinner Stuart Ramskill complete the changes from last year’s side. Craig Douglas and Peter Gough are both unavailable. Jersey will not choose their final XI until after seeing the wicket on the morning of the match. ‘The team will not be chosen until shortly before the game,’ said Chris Searson, Jersey team manager. ‘There have been high and low-scoring matches at the KGV this season and we’ll have to look at the wicket when the over-40s play and next week on the day before deciding out line-up.
Jersey squad: Mathew Hague, Steve Carlyon, Chris Jones, Tony Carlyon, Dave Gorman, Rob Tewkesbury, Meeku Patidar, Simon Short, Mark Reynolds, Paul Horton, Mark Saralis, Stuart Ramskill.

Guernsey Press
‘Jeffery in ahead of Van Rooyen’ by Gareth Le Prevost

Andre Van Rooyen is the unlucky player to miss out on a place in Guernsey’s XI for the inter-insular. Island manager Dave Hearse confirmed the final selection yesterday, with Optimists’ South African the one excluded from the squad of 12 announced last week. However, there is still the possibility that van Rooyen might be called upon as a last-minutes replacement. ‘We want to keep Andre close to the team to cover for Tim Duke, whose girl-friend is pregnant,’ said Hearse, who admitted that the final place was between the South African and Matt Jeffery. It was a hard decision, but Matt has bowled well this season, was still under pressure to perform on Saturday (against Wanderers) and he came through it with a lot of credit so good luck to him. It was a difficult one, though. It is a strong side and if they all play to their ability, I am sure they will win,’ he said.
Guernsey team: Glenn Milnes, Matt Oliver, Ami Banerjee, Jeremy Frith, Andy Biggins (captain), Stuart Le Prevost, Tin Duke, Pierre Moody, Gary Rich, Justin Ferbrache, Matt Jeffery. 12th man Alex Hunter.

‘Unfazed Oliver makes final step up the ladder’ by Gareth Le Prevost
Matt Oliver is a proud man. In previous seasons, Total Cobo’s left-handed opening batsman had got so uptight about making the Guernsey side for the inter-insular that it badly affected his form after fine starts to each campaign. This year the 23-year-old says he has not worried about selection to play Jersey and instead has just gone out and bat in his natural, aggressive style. The result is three centuries and a fully deserved senior island cap. ‘It means a lot to me. Obviously it is something I have wanted to do for the last few years,’ said Oliver. ‘I have been in and around the squad for the past two or three years and it is good to push up to that final step.’
Knowing how much it meant to the youngster, island manager Dave Hearse contacted him first of all the players who made the final XI to give the good news. Although Oliver had cemented his place in the side with 128 for the island against Sparsholt, the player himself was wary of not taking anything for granted before he got the official word. ‘It was a bit of a surprise. I thought I would probably get into the squad but I still did not think that I would get the chance to open. It was very nice to get the phone call from Dave Hearse and to be told that you have got yourself in, not because others are unavailable but because you have done it on merit. It is good to be in such a quality side with so many classy players. It is good for everyone in the squad to play with such quality players and it makes the achievement of getting into the side all the more satisfying for me.’ Oliver’s ton on tour two weeks ago was typical of his style of batting. He was dropped a couple of times but he also played some fantastic shots and that is because he is always looking to score and is not afraid of using the aerial route. But, if anything, he has been more selective as to which balls he hits and has been prepared to leave them more often. However he does not feel as if he has altered his game significantly. ‘The only way I have changed is that I have approached things slightly differently in that I am not putting pressure on myself to perform,’ he said. ‘In the past I was so intense on trying to get into the island side it was affecting the way I went out to bat. I have not done that this year and even now I am just playing my natural game. My concentration has improved 50% from what it was, though.’
That point has been emphasised in the fact that of the four times Oliver has reached 50 this season, only once has he failed to go on to score a hundred. On that occasion, against Rovers in the Cable & Wireless Guernsey Championship, he was run out. But he never has a specific aim before a season or even for any particular match. ‘I never really think about it before I bat; I just go out and play my way. But it has been very satisfying to turn 30s and 40s into not even 70s or 80s but hundreds and I have really enjoyed them,’ said Oliver. ‘The first one (against Rovers at the College Filed) was the first time I have batted like that and batting with Jeremy Frith for much of the innings was a great help because he kept talking me through it. ‘The second (against Wanderers) was definitely the best of the three because while the first one was good, it was not against the class of bowling that Wanderers have. To score a hundred against a good bowling attack was very enjoyable. ‘The one against Sparsholt was not as good as the hundred against Wanderers but it was my first for Guernsey and I loved it. I took a lot from my talk with Neil Burns ands used it in my innings,’ he added. Unusually for a cricketer who has been playing in the top flight of the local game for several years now, Oliver is ignorant of what the Jersey players have to offer. The way that some Sarnians have got uptight in the past that is probably not a bad thing. ‘I know nothing about any of their players. Everybody is talking about the things they have done but I do not know what they have done and I like it that way. It is good not to pre-empt things in my mind. I am confident going into the game. The way the island team has been together a lot has meant we have a good team spirit and not having lost a game this season is something good to take into this match. If everyone performs the way he can, it could be quite a comprehensive victory,’ he said. But he also admitted that he is unlikely to sleep well the night before the match. ‘I will be nervous before the game although I am sure once I go out there to play I will be fine. It is a lot different from any other game I have played. This does not compare to any other island representative game, even the under 21s or under 25s, especially with all the hype for this one. That is why it is good batting with people like Glenn [Milnes], Ami [Banerjee], and Jeremy [Frith] because they pass things on to you from what they have seen from the other end and they are good at judging every situation,’ he added.
Looking a bit further ahead, Oliver may have to fill another important role later on in his Guernsey career with Justin Ferbrache heading off to New Zealand this winter. He will be taking over the wicket-keeping gloves for Cobo next season and Hearse may want to use him behind the stumps for the island as well. ‘I am looking forward to it; it is something I will work on during the winter and I am hoping to do some sessions with Justin before he leaves. If I can improve my wicket-keeping 20% hopefully it will put me in better stead for an island spot as a wicket-keeper/batsman.’

‘Favourites tag could be Sarnian Achilles heel’ by Gareth Le Prevost
Dave Gorman has some tricks up his sleeve as he attempts to maintain his unbeaten inter-insular record as Jersey captain. The Englishman missed the whole of last season through injury and Tony Carlyon took the role as the Caesareans’ skipper for the defeat at Grainville. But Gorman is back and although he acknowledged that Guernsey would start as favourites on the back of the result 12 months ago, he believed that factor could prove to be the Sarnians’ Achilles heel.
‘I think the main danger to Jersey is a psychological one. You are absolutely delighted to have won last year and now you are on home soil with a home audience and that will encourage the players to deliver,’ said Gorman. ‘But psychology could present problems for Guernsey because it will bring different pressures that have not been faced before by the players. Guernsey should be considered marginal favourites because of the home ground, the home crowd and the first win for a decade. But the onus of that and the expectancy levels could be significant factors and we hope to use them to put the pressure on and not make it easy for anyone. We will not be unpleasant about it but we will try and be professional.’
First and foremost, though, Gorman is looking for his side to regain the confidence that took ‘a severe jolt’ at Grainville last year and if anyone can do that, it is this studious former minor-counties cricketer. He is a very astute leader who is not afraid of trying the unconventional and has the knack of bringing out the best in his players. However, he was a little surprised that the chance to do it in the inter-insular has come his way once again. ‘I am looking forward to it immensely. I thought my time had gone bit I have scored a few runs and that gave the selectors the chance to pick me. Once I was in the side, with the experiences I have had, I suppose I was the natural choice to captain it. Tony Carlyon was unlucky last year; he did not get the rub of the green and I hope his fortune changes,’ Gorman added.
The returning skipper was one of three selectors who chose the 12 players Jersey will bring to the KGV. Gorman will wait until he has seen the wicket before he decides which one of the squad will not play. ‘The strength really lies in the greater balance we have to the side than in the past. In the past few years we have not had the options available but the 12 we have got has a broader balance and it gives the captain more variations,’ he said. ‘I am very pleased with the side although, obviously, there are one or two individuals that were unlucky to miss out. The biggest one was James Mashiter, who has consistently scored runs this season and is a good young player. For him not to get in the 12 was very unlucky.’
One other player who did not make the 12 was inter-insular veteran Ward Jenner. Gorman said that his presence would be missed but form counted against him. ‘It is a shame really because he is a larger-than-life character and the personality he brings to the team will be sorely missed, but if the lad is not scoring runs it is difficult to pick him. Yes, he could score runs in that game but the chances of him doing that are less and the risk is to pick him ahead of someone else on that basis.’
Turning his attention to the Guernsey side, Gorman acknowledged that it had many potential match-winners. ‘I suppose the dangers in the team are Ami Banerjee whose performance last year with bat and ball were outstanding. The risk is we recognise that and perhaps give him too much respect. He will certainly be a big threat, though, and again after last year’s success, Jeremy Frith is also a big worry,’ he said. ‘Other players have been in cracking form such as Tim Duke and Matt Oliver who have scored many hundreds between them and you do not score hundreds if you are not a good player. Personally, I would worry if Stuart [Le Prevost] got in early. He came in last year and cracked the ball around at the end, but he is a proper cricketer, a stroke-maker, and he can build an innings. I am not sure where Andy [Biggins] wants to use him, though.’
He knows a little less on the Sarnian bowling front but he is aware that Biggins has several options at his disposal, for one of which Gorman has the utmost respect. ‘In terms of the bowling, I have always liked Gary Rich. He is a super bowler, which he showed in the CI team in the 38s against quality opposition.’ Two years ago, Gorman led Jersey to victory at the KGV on a day when the toss was seen as very important. Of course, he won it. Tomorrow, though, the fall of the coin should not be a huge factor. ‘I have no worries on the wicket. I have seen it twice this season and I have been quite impressed with what is going on with it. ‘I do not think the toss will be absolutely crucial. It is sometimes nice to get runs on the board first because there is always the fear that the wicket will dry and start to crumble, but it played very consistently on Sunday [in the over 40s].’ Gorman is not your typical Jersey captain. He wants to win, obviously, but he does not want either team to dominate proceedings and secure a comfortable victory. Most of all I hope for a close game to enthuse both islands. I want a proper, good game of cricket to encourage a good crowd. I am really looking forward to the banter from the Guernsey supporters,’ he said.

Don’t be complacent’ by Gareth Le Prevost
Andy Biggins has warned the Guernsey team not to expect Jersey to roll over easily in today’s clash at the KGV. Following last year’s 35-run victory at Grainville most Sarnians expect rather than hope for more of the same. But the island captain emphasised that his team were aware that taking anything for granted was extremely dangerous.
‘We have to understand that complacency is one area where we could fall down but from the way we have played this year and, more importantly, the players’ attitude, I do not think it is a factor within the squad,’ he said. ‘People have the right to expect us to do well, especially after last year, but I reckon this year is going to be harder – Jersey are at full strength and on the rebound. We played to our potential last year, we certainly batted as well as we could and it was a comfortable victory but it was not a hammering. So by definition we have to play as well or even better this year. There is no room for complacency.’
Biggins added that the team ethic that was now a major part of the whole island squad should push players even harder to perform. ‘We have played well as a team but it has not been the same XI playing every game. Everyone in the squad has played well and those in the inter-insular XI owe it to the rest of them to give of their best. We have established a very good atmosphere in the whole set up,’ he said. The skipper acknowledged that his side was packed with big-game players and they were in form at exactly the right time.
Jersey have their own undoubted match-winners, although Biggins is a happy man to see that his former Optimists teammate, Ward Jenner, was not in the side. ‘I am surprised Ward is not playing. I look down the list and there are a couple of guys who we know are their big-game players and they have picked the side on form – but I would much rather play a Jersey side without Jenner in it.’ But he will still give the visitors the respect they deserve – something the Sarnians did last year – without going as far as to be intimidated by them. Where we went right last year was that we acknowledged the fact that Jersey are a good side. You do not win 10 inter-insulars on the trot otherwise and you do not become a bad side overnight. We respect them but if we worry about them it could undermine us. We have proved that we are as good as them, if not a bit better.’
However, he had a complimentary word about his opposite number. ‘They have an extrovert captain who is fantastic at leading them and you have to earn every run and every wicket. I have got a lot of respect for Dave Gorman as a captain, a player and a person.’ When talking about his own island captaincy Biggins admits that his job is made easier by the personnel at his disposal, most of whom have more than one string to their bow. ‘We have a team that can deal with situations when they arise. hat is a nice position to be in,’ he said. ‘More than any other game you play in, the inter-insular is about accepting your role in the side. In the inter-insular, very rarely do you get one person dominating the game. ‘Sometimes it is a different role from what you are used to. For example, I will probably be b batting at five or six when I normally bat four, Stuart Le Prevost is the same and Tim Duke usually bats in the top three and he could be as low down as number seven. But you have still got a job to do. It is not set in stone and you have got to adapt to the situation – you jus don’t know what is going to happen. I could tell you for certain who is going to open the bowling. I have my ideas but it could depend on several things when the time arises.’
But it is not the batting or the bowling on which Biggins focused as the vital aspect of the game. Experience has taught him and several others in the team that inter-insulars can turn around very quickly if concentration is allowed to slip. ‘One of the key areas is the fielding. It is about setting standards and setting them early. ‘If someone does something a bit special, the whole team lifts their approach and it is bound to put the opposition on the back foot. Even if you just seem much more alert it makes them cautious. You expect the fielding to take care of itself at this level but all it takes is a five-over spell where things go wrong and it can lose you the game.’
The last inter-insular at the KGV quickly sprang to the skipper’s mind. ‘2001 was a prime example. We let things slip in the field for five or six overs and they probably scored 30 or 40 runs more than they should have. It was Gorman and Craig Douglas on that occasion. They gained the initiative, established a partnership and we were powerless to do anything about it. We then lost early wickets because we had a higher total to chase and could not recover.’
At that match two years ago, Gorman won a vital toss. However, the KGV wickets are much improved from these days and it should make for an even contest no matter who bats first. ‘The toss is not as important at the KGV as it is at Grainville now. I still think it is a wicket that might get you into trouble if you try and force the pace and in that respect perhaps batting first does help, but by no means is it the end of the world if you lose the toss,’ Biggins said.
But whatever the outcome today, the Guernsey captain wanted to pay tribute to the efforts that his squad has put in during 2003. ‘They have worked hard this season, really pushed themselves, I felt that towards the end of the 90s people were getting some free rides. ‘There are no free tickets for the the Guernsey side this year,’ he said.

MATCH
Jersey Post headline was ‘Indian Maestro breaks Jersey hearts at KGV’

Guernsey Press
‘Tail-enders kill off Jersey’ by Gareth Le Prevost

Guernsey claimed their first inter-insular victory at the KGV in sensational style on Saturday. The game will be remembered for the stunning all-round performance of Ami Banerjee and a superb match-winning partnership of 44 from the ninth-wicket pair of Pierre Moody and Justin Ferbrache.
The Indian bowled an outstanding opening spell, which deserved more reward in the way of wickets than his one for 28 suggests, before hitting a classy 46. Stuart Le Prevost’s excellent 48 pushed Guernsey towards the victory target of 210 before Moody(41) and Ferbrache(12) showed an incredible calmness in guiding their side home with nine balls to spare. ‘It was against the odds,’ said a delighted Guernsey skipper, Andy Biggins. ‘I lost the toss again, a couple of decisions did not go our way and we got an injury to one of our key bowlers [Glenn Milnes]. ‘But our strength in depth pulled us through and it was a win based on teamwork.’
Island manager Dave Hearse, who won the inter-insular at the first attempt, said he was ‘proud’ of his squad. ‘The players’ perseverance was very good. I am so pleased for the guys and to win every game of the season – you cannot do better than that. They are great ambassadors for their island. Pierre Moody was fantastic – it was the innings of the game under immense pressure and he has never played better. He more than justified his selection. Justin Ferbrache batted brilliantly also in supporting Pierre and he showed that he did not want to get out. As Neil Burns said to us, the game is all about partnerships.’
Jersey skipper Dave Gorman was dignified in defeat and did not offer any excuses. ‘We are desperately disappointed. We got ourselves into a position to win the game but that was a killer ninth-wicket partnership between Pierre Moody and Justin Ferbrache. Guernsey deserved to win the game because of that partnership,’ said Gorman.

‘Sweet victory achieved against the odds’ by Gareth Le Prevost
Victories do not come any sweeter than this. Everything piled up against Guernsey at the KGV on Saturday. The toss once again went the way of Jersey, decisions also went undoubtedly in their favour and the one player captain Andy Biggins would have loved to have brought on to bowl, Glenn Milnes , pulled a hamstring in the field preventing him from doing so. But to triumph over such adversity said so much for this Sarnian team that work extremely hard for each other each time they go out to play. It also helps to have an Indian maestro used to sweltering heat, of course. Man-of-the-match Ami Banerjee’s 15-over opening spell from the de Beauvoir end was nothing short of incredible. Admittedly, in his early overs the pitch was assisting him, but the way he subdued a batsman of Mathew Hague’s talent was hugely impressive. Banerjee let one ball slip down leg-side in his first over for a wide, but then did not concede a run until the second delivery of his eighth.
At the other end, Matt Jeffery produced four marvellous overs of his own and the whole side and home supporters were convinced that he had Hague caught behind with his 11th ball. But the batsman stood his ground and Brian Mitchinson turned down the appeal. It was almost good for Guernsey that he did because, unusually, Hague just could not get the bowling away and he scraped his way to 12 from 72 balls before Banerjee finally got his man, caught at point by Tim Duke.
Steve Carlyon looked in far better nick and capitalised on some tired stuff from Jeffery late in his six-over spell with some majestic cutting and pulling. Moody replaced the Rovers man and generally kept things tight with the exception of one poor over that was dispatched for 10 by Carlyon. The Jersey left-hander brought up a deserved half century in Gary Rich’s first over with a push to backward point. But he departed soon after when Jeremy Frith, who came on after Banerjee’s marathon effort, clipped his leg stump after getting his first delivery to turn through the gate.
Chris Jones was then to be thrown a lifeline. After a huge leg before appeal was turned down, Rich got a beauty through the number three and knocked over his castle, only for it to be called a no-ball. The Old Victorian made the most of it, scoring an excellent 57 not out from 79 deliveries, including six fours, several of them being textbook drives through the mid-off region. But the explosive innings came from Meeku Patidar, who produced some impressive hitting against the spinners, launching three sixes and a four in his 46 from 49 balls. He perished going for a repeat off Frith only for Banerjee to claim a fine catch at deep mid-wicket.
Mark Saralis continued the good work although he had more than his share of luck. Justin Ferbrache was convinced that he had him stumped, then Banerjee misjudged a catch out in the deep and, to top things off, Tim Duke’s direct hit off his own bowling had Saralis resigned to his fate, but umpire Bray shook his head at the run-out appeal. In the whole scheme of things Duke’s brief spell at the end almost went unnoticed, but it was a very good one as he conceded only single figures at the death. Guernsey could have been chasing significantly more than 209.
At the start of the reply Glenn Milnes and Matt Oliver had both hit fine boundaries as well as having a little luck before the Cobo man got a snorter fro Paul Horton, which he did well to glove to slip. Banerjee joined the New Zealander but the latter was soon to depart as a leading edge looped up to point and Guernsey were 30 for two.
But then the Optimists and Jeremy Frith threatened to take the game away from Jersey for the second year in a row, adding a comfortable 42 for the third wicket. Banerjee was driving delightfully while Frith worked the ball around and pulled a couple of fours. However, the earlier reluctance of Mitchinson to raise his finger suddenly vanished as Hague went up for an ambitious leg before appeal against Frith that was surprisingly upheld.
Four overs later when Andy Biggins hit a Stuart Ramskill full toss straight to square leg, Guernsey were starting to look like underdogs. But Stuart Le Prevost was the coolest man in the ground as he walked to the wicket and after only a couple of sighters he was hitting fours to all corners. Unfortunately he was soon to lose Banerjee as a partner when the Indian’s superb day ended as he was caught at mid-wicket but Le Prevost was in full flow already. A cut and a pull were followed by three trademark flicks off his legs, one of them ending in a lost ball. But the edge to the game was kept by Duke giving Horton a simple return catch and Rich being removed by a combination of Tony Carlyon and Mitchinson.
Yet even at 152 for seven, Guernsey looked well in the hunt with Le Prevost and Moody there, the all-rounder hitting a couple of boundaries over mid-off early on. But Jersey were made firm favourites when Mitchinson’s dreaded finger of fate was raised again with Guernsey on 167. Le Prevost pushed one out to deep mid-wicket and looked to be struggling on the second run if a good throw came in. It didn’t, though, and Simon Short’s first dive for the stumps missed and only on his second movement did he dislodge a bail. The batsman had surely made his ground by then but he was given out, controversially for 48, scored from just 37 balls. Some of the abuse aimed at the visiting umpire went too far, but how can anyone deny that this game would benefit from having neutrals in the white jackets.
The visitors seemingly had the game in their grasp but Ferbrache desperately wanted that winner’s medal before he leaves for New Zealand and he made sure he got it. He held up one end, mainly nudging singles but also hitting a boundary through backward point while Moody took control. The run-rate was not an issue by this stage – simply staying in to win was what was required. For the first part of their partnership. most of the crowd were still seething at the previous decision, but once Moody launched a straight six to bring up the 190, the focus was once again on the cricket. They took the score up in sensible ones and twos for the remainder of the game, each run cheered as Jersey wilted in the sun. And Moody, 41 from 41 balls, ended it in superb style, smashing a straight pull for four over mid-on off Saralis to spark a pitch invasion from his ecstatic teammates.

Andy Biggins celebrates with the Trophy                        GEP

REVIEW
Guernsey Press
‘Jersey given the Moody blues’ by Gareth Le Prevost

Pierre Moody experienced every emotion imaginable during his heroic innings that led Guernsey to inter-insular victory. The Pessimists all-rounder’s unbeaten 41 will live long in the memory of all Sarnians present on the day but he admitted that he was not as calm as he appeared when first striding to the crease. ‘I was very nervous. I hoped it would not have come to that,’ said Moody. ‘When Gary Rich went in before me, I was hoping the score would have gone on a lot by the time I went in, if I was needed. I was thinking something along the lines of “Oh, God” when he was given out.’
Those initial nerves disappeared fairly quickly as his partnership with Stuart Le Prevost began and they were replaced by confidence. ‘When I first went in, I decided I wanted to hit the ball and I managed to drive a couple for a few runs – I did not really think about it too much. ‘When I went in and was with Stu, I never thought that we could not do it and that was unusual because in other games when you are on the back foot like that, you do get doubts – that did not enter my head. He was hitting the ball so well I thought we would be fine, but when he got out that all changed. At that point, to be honest, I did not expect us to do it,’ he added.
His frame of mind was to change, though, when Justin Ferbrache joined him. ‘Ferbs came in and was in a positive mood. We just kept saying “we can do this”. We said to each other, just play sensibly and straight, work the loose balls around and look out for the yorkers all the time because we knew they would try and bowl them. As the runs kept coming and the score went up and up we just kept doing it and basically the run-rate did not get out of hand. We knew that it was the wickets that were important and if we kept them intact then we would make it. I felt like I should be the more senior player but he [Ferbrache] did fantastically well and the couple of boundaries that came our way did not do us any harm either. His shot through backward point was a cracking moment and it helped relieve the pressure.’
But arguably the shot of the day came from Moody himself as he smacked a straight six back over Tony Carlyon’s head. For the batsman that ball gave him a great deal of satisfaction. ‘I had a bit of a battle with Tony Carlyon. Some of the things he was calling me were outrageous and I thought it was totally uncalled for but after I hit him for six, he did not say much else. That one came right out of the screws – it was one of those shots where if you get it right it just keeps going and going. After the six I felt quite in control. I was wanting him to look at me after I hit it but he just turned away,’ he said.
Incidentally, Carlyon himself has since praised Moody for the way he bated, saying; ‘You have to give Pierre and Justin a lot of credit because there was a lot of pressure out there.’ Although it appeared that Moody was in ‘the zone’, he was not oblivious to what was going on in the crowd, especially after the Le Prevost run-out and then during his partnership with Ferbrache. The support they received made a big impression on the all-rounder.
‘It was quite a downside to the day what went on when Stu was given out – it was over the top. A plus side was that whenever we scored a run there was a cheer. I have never felt anything like it in my entire life,’ he said. The biggest roar came when Moody smacked the final ball for four over mid-on before being engulfed by his teammates. ‘Mark Saralis did bowl one short that got right up to my chest which surprised me a bit. But everything was hitting the bat and the long hp was nice to get. ‘Once it got past the fielder I never saw where it went because Ferby was hugging me and the rest of the team were there quickly as well. It was a fantastic day and an awesome team effort.’