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Optimists favourites to qualify
David Piesing
Marlborough Trust Optimists put themselves in the driving seat to clinch the 4th and final qualifying place in the CI Club Championship with a thumping 8-wicket win over Mavericks at KGV on Saturday.
With Mavericks missing several first-teamers they would have desperately wanted to chase batting second but lost the toss and were inserted. They were in the mire at 110 for 8 but stand-in skipper GH Smit was still at the wicket. Having taken his time to reach 50 he opened his shoulders to move quickly to 102 before being caught at short third man. He was well-supported by debutant Kevin Le Tissier who made a valuable 25 before being last man out with the score on 202. Seamer Steve Queripel was the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 46.
Optimists lost two early wickets in reply before Andy Biggins and Ami Banerjee came together to put together an unbeaten partnership of 189 as Optimists got home with 4 overs to spare. Both players were unbeaten on 83.
Meanwhile on Sunday PKF Wanderers overcame Air Search Rovers in the preliminary round of the GCA Cup. Both teams were missing 3 or 4 key players but the pendulum swung throughout a good game. Wanderers batted first after winning the toss and got off to a solid start with 63 for the first wicket between Steve Birkett and Spencer Noyon. After they were parted the wheels came off and Wanderers quickly collapsed to 92 for 7 as leg spinner Luke Nussbaumer and off-spinner Aaron Scoones bowled in tandem. After their spells were over Wanderers recovered thanks to a 58-run partnership for the 9th wicket between Rod Sallis and Keith Le Cheminant, before being eventually bowled out for 185 in the last of the 50 allotted overs. Remarkably the Rovers attack conceded 74 extras, of which 60 were wides.
Le Cheminant made the vital breakthrough when he trapped Ryan Bishop, the South African run machine, leg-before for 28 and with Mike Savage also taking two quick wickets Rovers were struggling at 55 for 4. Luke Nussbaumer then joined John Baker and the pair steadily took the score to 120 before Baker fell lbw to Dave Piesing. Nussbaumer kept going against the spin trio of Piesing, Birkett and Phil Challenger before holing out to long-off against Birkett for an impressive 40. The game had swing Wanderers' way and Piesing (3 for 28) and Sher Khanagha then wrapped up the tail to leave Wanderers the winners by 20 runs.
© Guernsey Cricket Board
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