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Saturday’s matches in the European 2nd Division Championships may initially have been overshadowed by the controversy surrounding Israel’s participation, but in the end the most significant developments were the defeats of Jersey and Guernsey by France and Germany, and the emergence of Norway and Hellas as leading contenders for places in the semi-finals.

France and Germany had both lost their opening encounters on Thursday, and had to win today in order to retain any hope of going further, and eventually qualifying for a place in the next 1st Division Championship. Jersey and Guernsey, newcomers to the tournament, had been expected to do well, but will now have to win tomorrow, when they take on the unbeaten Norwegians and Hellenes. The situation is particularly acute for Jersey, who have the further disadvantage of having shared the points from their cancelled match against Israel.

Jersey began the real work well enough, bowling France out for 166 at Old Anniesland after their opponents had again won the toss and elected to bat. The main damage was done by medium-pacers Mathew Hague (four for 32) and Tony Carlyon (three for 36), while France were rescued from a fairly desperate 80 for six by a solid 82-run partnership for the seventh wicket between Javed Ijaz, who made 37, and Thushara Korala Gamage, who top-scored with 43.

Despite losing an early wicket, Jersey looked likely to completed a straightforward win when they reached 71 for one, with skipper Hague and Ian Crocker going well, but once Hague (43) became seamer Tahir Saeed’s second victim it was largely left to Crocker to hold the innings together.

He was sixth out for 45 with the score on 137, and Tahir and 16-year-old leg-spinner Jonathan Houghton by this time had three wickets each. Tahir picked up another to finish with four for 14 off ten overs, while Houghton took three for 52. At 159 for eight and just 8 needed for victory Jersey still had a chance, but the final two wickets fell on 159 and France had pulled off a remarkable win.

If the bowlers were in control in the France-Jersey game, the batsmen had the upper hand at Titwood, where Germany compiled 243 for six off their fifty overs and then dismissed Guernsey for 185. The German innings was built around two major partnerships, 71 for the second wicket between Farooq Ahmed (53 from 55 balls) and Abdul Salam Bhatti (48), and then 88 for the fifth between Rajiv Vohra (45) and Mohammad Ayoob Pasha (44 not out).

Rana Javed Iqbal, who had shocked Hellas with a five-wicket spell on Thursday, again whipped the top off the opposition, taking another three wickets to reduce Guernsey to 26 for three. The islanders recovered with a fine stand of 129 between Ami Banerjee, who made 84, and Stuart Le Prevost (49). Once left-arm spinner Hamid Mahmood had broken through by taking a return catch from Banerjee, however, the Guernsey innings fell apart, the last seven wickets falling for just 30 runs.

Hamid Mahmood took four for 33, while Javed Iqbal picked up another to finish with four for 21 as Guernsey fell 58 runs short of their target.