The Guernsey experience


	Cricket Gibraltar Official site of the Gibraltar Cricket Association

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TJF

THE GUERNSEY EXPERIENCE.

Close on the heels of their under nineteen counterparts, Gibraltar’s under twenty threes travelled to Guernsey to compete in the first ever division two tournament at this level. It turned out to be a worthwhile experience which will stand those likely to make the full National squad next year in good stead. As often happens in these events, the local players found it difficult to adjust to playing on grass wickets, the batsmen in particular failing to live up to their reputations on home soil. In addition, the format of the competition and the intervention of inclement weather meant that the Gibraltar team had to face possibly the two strongest sides in the competition. They nevertheless acquitted themselves well, and Iain Latin was named Man of the Tournament for his heroics with the bat.

First up Germany.

Monday the 13th. August saw the side facing Germany. The latter won the toss, opted to bat first and were given an electric start as Tahir Mahmood punished some loose bowling, 47 runs coming in the opening five overs. Chris Phillips then achieved the much-needed breakthrough claiming two wickets, and Chris Allan chipped in with a third to send the Germany total tumbling to 66/3. Shahid Nadeem then helped Mahmood add 59 runs for the fourth wicket before he was caught behind off the bowling of Karan Aswani for 17, and the introduction of Kabir Mirpuri into the attack immediately pulled the game back Gibraltar’s way as he claimed two wickets in his opening three overs, including that of Mahmood who was then on 83. Mirpuri struck again with the total on 157 but a ninth wicket stand by the Aritharan brothers enabled Germany to reach 184 before being dismissed in the 36th. over. Mirpuri returned figures of 3/34 and Phillips 2/49, whilst wicketkeeper Kieron Ferrary took three catches.

Gibraltar made a disastrous start to their innings losing their top five batsmen with only 59 runs on the board, Ferrary with 21 being the only one to reach double figures. Vikram Khatwani and Iain Latin then steadied the ship with a sixth wicket stand of 49, but when the former was adjudged leg before and two further wickets fell cheaply the odds were very much on a Germany victory. However, Latin had other ideas, and with Charlie Harrison holding one end up these two defied all efforts to dislodge them for the next hour, in the process achieving victory with two overs to spare. Latin’s contribution was an undefeated 72, scored off 95 balls in 135 minutes, and including nine fours and a six, whilst Harrison faced 37 balls for his 6 not out. Gibraltar’s final total was 186/8. In the other match played on that day, France defeated Italy by 40 runs.

Tuesday 14th. should have seen France playing Guernsey and Jersey confronting Germany, but a day of persistent and at times heavy rain meant that neither of these matches could be played with points being shared, an outcome which clearly favoured France who were now almost guaranteed a place in the final depending of the Guernsey v Italy match.

Defeat against Jersey.

The Gibraltar team were back in action on Wednesday 15th. with a match against Jersey, the result of which would decide which of the two sides progressed to the final. Gibraltar won the toss and inserted the opposition. Johnny Gough and Sam Dewhurst gave Jersey a solid if slow start with an opening partnership of 58 before the latter was run out by a direct hit from Latin and two runs later Aswani trapped Gough leg before. Andrew Dewhurst and Edward Farley then held out but runs were slow in coming and at the 34 overs stage the total had only progressed to 106/2. Things then changed after the second drinks break as Farley began to open up, and aided and abetted by some wayward bowling [30 wides no less!), managed to add 121 runs in the final seventeen overs of the innings, Farley ending on 77 in a final total of 227/6.

For the second time in as many matches, the Gibraltar top order failed to perform, only Aswani with 52 making any impression as the side was dismissed for a paltry 133 in 44 overs, which meant that they would have to be content with a third/fourth play-off. In the other match played that day, Guernsey beat Italy by 51 runs.

And so to the final act.

Thursday, 16th. saw the Gibraltar team facing Guernsey for 3rd and 4th. places in the tournament. Guernsey won the toss and asked Gibraltar to bat first, Ferrary and Phillips giving the side a solid start with a stand of 42 runs in the opening eleven overs. However, when Phillips was bowled, two further wickets fell for the addition of only twelve runs and at the 25 overs half-way stage the total had crawled to 77/3. Worse was to follow as four wickets went down in the eighties and at 85/7 Gibraltar were facing a humiliating experience. Once again it was Latin and Harrison to the rescue with an eighth wicket partnership of 55, and when the latter departed, Shaun Ainsworth, playing his first game of the tournament, kept Latin company as a further 41 runs were added. Latin was finally dismissed in the final over but not before he had scored 66 runs, and his 82 minute stay at the crease had undoubtedly saved Gibraltar’s blushes as the final total progressed to 184/9.

The Gibraltar opening bowlers bowled steadily to restrict Guernsey to 74/1 in the opening 25 overs of their innings, but, as had occurred the previous day against Jersey, wickets in hand proved crucial, and Guernsey achieved their target with two overs to spare. The final between Jersey and France proved something of a non-event as the latter were dismissed for 80 in 31.3 overs and Jersey strolled to victory in 16. 2 overs.

-TJF