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Dutch bounce back in final game
David Piesing
The Flamingo Dutch A side gained some consolation for losing the 3-match series against the Guernsey Cricket Board with a 4 wicket victory in the final game. Jeste Schoonheim was the hero with a fine unbeaten 41 in a 58-run partnership with Martin van Ierschot (27 not out), just as the home side had started to look like making it a whitewash.
In misty conditions the visitors won the toss and elected to field. Runs were hard to come by in conditions helpful to the seamers. Although the home side's openers, Mark Jefferies and Andy Biggins put on 61, it was at a run rate of only 3 per over with Bukhari, Ghaznavi and Mol bowling very tightly. After Jefferies fell to Mol for 27, the same bowler quickly accounted for the danger pair of Ami Banerjee and GH Smit who were both bowled. Jeremy Frith dug in to make a solid 31 and with everyone contributing down the order, the GCB reached 212 for 8 in their 50 overs. Extras top-scored with 37, of which 25 were wides. Mol returned the excellent figures of 3 for 25 from his 10 overs, while Bukhari returned 1 for 34.
In the previous two days this total was more than enough but openers Bukhari and de Grooth set off in pursuit as if they had an early flight to catch. Bukhari led the way, smashing 41 off 24 balls before he was caught at slip in Banerjee's first over, the seventh of the innings. The Dutch consolidated after this as the scoring rate fell but a flurry of wickets to off-spinner Gary Rich and slow left-arm spinner Jeremy Frith resulted in a collapse to 156 for 6, still needing another 57 at around a run a ball. Jeste Schoonheim and Martin van Ierschot had other ideas though and they efficiently reduced the target with some fine shot placement and running between the wickets. Schoonheim somehwo survived a run-out chance with the target down to under 40, which would have made for a very exciting finish, but with the two home spinners having finished their spells, the pair found runs easy to score against the seamers and they got home with 5 balls to spare. Rich picked up three wickets for the home side.
So, a 2-1 win for the Guernsey Cricket Board side in what was a very worthwhile exercise for both sides. The visitors clearly underperformed in the opening two games and proved in their final game that they were better than they had shown in those two games. Indeed, their all-round performance in game three served to underline the fact that the home side had played very well to beat a talented side so comprehensively in the opening two matches.
The GCB's Jeremy Frith was named man-of-the-series for two soldi contributions with the bat and three very tidy bowling performances, while Mudassar Bakhari was named the man-of-the-series for the visitors.
Home skipper Stuart Le Prevost accepted the trophy from Peter Vidamour of sponsors the Fortis Group, and it is hoped that this could become a regular series in future years.
© Guernsey Cricket Board
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