The top two sides in Manx Cricket are set for the game of the season on Saturday.

St Johns and Castletown meet at Mullen-e-Cloie in the final match of the Standard Bank League. The winner will take the coveted title.

After fourteen matches, the teams are top of the table with 42 points each. The Town are the 2006 champions but the Saints are looking to collect the top four trophies on the Island.

St Johns have won the Tinker Cup and the MAC Financial Cain League. If they gain victory tomorrow, they will then only need the League Cup to complete a brilliant record.

But many pundits believe the odds are against Jon Norrington’s side. The clubs have met twice in the league this year – and Castletown won both fixtures.

On the first occasion their batsmen scored 220 for 8. The next time they blasted 284 for 3.

Also the Southerners have the better net run rate. If this final game is not played because of the weather, or it cannot be finished due to rain, then Castletown will be named Champions again.

They have a net run rate of 1.61 – The St Johns figure is 1.22.

However the Saints’ supporters can see only victory for their team. Since that last defeat by the Town, they have played eight games, winning seven and having the other rained off.

The team has run into form at the right time and in Greg Hawke they have a class all-rounder. He has hit 563 runs at an average of 31 and taken 48 wickets at just over 12.

Scott Pearce in his last season for the club has conceded only 2.4 runs an over as well as scoring 400 runs.

The danger men for Castletown are Wicus Wessels and Mark Williams. With his aggressive batting, Wicus can destroy any attack. He has 750 runs to his name at an average of 57. 

Mark joined the club from Valkyres at the start of the season. He has cracked 511 runs at 32 and taken 41 wickets at 11. His calming influence has been one of the keys to the Town’s success.

But at the end of the day it could all turn on an outstanding performance from just one of the many talented players on the field. Perhaps it could be from Castletown’s Gareth Morris or St Johns’ dazzling Nick Hawke or dashing Grant Atchison.

This is one of the most keenly awaited and important encounters for many years. Let’s hope it is not ruined by the weather.

Next week Cronkbourne are taking a junior cricket side away for a 3-day tour to the north west of England. The Under 17s will be competing against top quality clubs St Helens, Astley & Tyldesley and Leigh.

The squad is Max Stokoe, Alex Stokoe, Luke Lacey, Richard Foden, Ally Slack, Chris Hewson, Carl Wagstaffe, Max Corkill, Ben Crookall, Charlie Doyle, Zaeem Jafri.

The coaches are Jeff Levin and Peter Richards. The tour has been very kindly sponsored by the Sefton Hotel. Let’s hope the lads play to their potential.

LEADING AVERAGES
BATTING
		Inns	N.O.	Runs	H.S.	Average
ST JOHNS
Grant Atchison		22	2	505	88	25.3
Greg Hawke		21	3	563	100	31.3
Nick Hawke		19	3	338	57	21.1
Ewald Killian		13	2	177	49	16.1
Jon Norrington		13	7	362	99	60.3
Scott Pearce		15	4	400	71	36.4
Arn van der Berg		10	2	218	58	27.3
CASTLETOWN
Andy Cross		5	1	151	81	37.8
Dave Griffiths		9	2	147	40	21.0
Gareth Morris		22	7	677	126	45.1
Christian Steriopulos		14	1	241	44	18.5
Wicus Wessels		19	6	750	140	57.7
Mark Williams		21	5	511	66	31.9
BOWLING
		Overs	Mdns	Runs	Wkts	Average
ST JOHNS
Greg Hawke		166	19	594	48	12.4
Nick Hawke		140	20	439	24	18.3
Ewald Killian		125	24	336	27	12.4
Scott Pearce		143	34	342	20	17.1
Cristo Roelofse		28	1	151	10	15.1
Arne vab der Berg		52	4	234	14	16.7
CASTLETOWN
Gareth Morris		81	7	350	23	15.2
Garreth Roome		107	7	416	21	19.8
Andy Sewell		167	25	598	40	15.0
Oliver Steriopulos		59	2	326	20	16.3
Greg Tomlinson		85	8	335	25	13.4
Mark Williams		136	19	449	41	11.0

ISLE OF MAN BANK CRICKET RESULTS

MAC Financial Forrester Two

Crosby C 78 (Andrew Turner 20, Ollie Swales 7 : Chris Hewson 4 -5, Mike Collister 2 -14) Cronkbourne B 79 for 4 (Kane Dooley 33no, James Leith 30 : Alex Wilson 2 -2, Ollie Swales 1 -20) Cronkbourne won by 6 wickets

Vagabonds 103 for 8 (John Pulman 30, Nigel O’Reilly 16no : Chris Hawke 4 -4, Alex Williamson 2 -23) Peel B 106 for 9 (Colin Gilbert 34, Alex Williamson 23 : Jason Bowden 3 -28, Nigel O’Reilly 2 -16) Peel won by 1 wicket

Blincoe Cup – Semi Final

Vagabonds v St Johns B – Match Abandoned (Rain). To be replayed this Sunday

STANDARD BANK LEAGUE
	P	W	ND	L	PTS
CASTLETOWN	14	10	1	3	42
ST JOHNS	14	10	1	3	42
CRONKBOURNE	14	8	2	4	36
RAMSEY	14	5	2	7	24
CROSBY	14	5	1	8	22
VALKYRES	14	0	1	13	2

MAC FINANCIAL FORRESTER TWO
	P	W	T	ND	L	PTS
CRONKBOURNE B	16	12	1	2	1	27
VAGABONDS	14	9	0	1	4	19
VALKYRES B	15	7	0	2	6	16
PEEL B	16	6	2	1	7	15
FINCH HILL	14	6	0	2	6	14
CRONKBOURNE C	15	5	0	2	8	12
CROSBY C	16	5	0	1	10	11
RONALDSWAY B	13	4	0	2	7	10
RAMSEY C	13	3	1	1	8	8

ISLE OF MAN BANK CRICKET FIXTURES DIARY

Friday 10 August

Guernsey Under 13s Festival

Channel Islands v Isle of Man

Saturday 11 August

Standard Bank League  (1-00 pm)

Black Grace Cowley St Johns v Montpelier Group Castletown

Ramsey Crookall v Valkyres

Manx Telecom Cronkbourne v Fairbairn Crosby

(Match Ball sponsored by Tower Insurance)

Sunday 12 August

Presidents Day

Island Eleven v Chairman’s Eleven

(At Mullen-e-Cloie)

Blincoe Cup Semi=Final

(Sponsored by Isle of Man Bank)

Vagabonds v Black Grace Cowley St Johns B

Monday 13 August

Manx Telecom Business League  (6-30 pm)

First Semi-Final

Tour Match

St Helens Under 17s v Cronkbourne Under 17s

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