This Is Guernsey

Matt Le Ber was in brilliant form as skip of a four that won by 11. (Picture by Daniel Guerin, 0514411)

GUERNSEY’S men produced a wonderful team effort to win the annual McKernan Trophy encounter on Jersey soil.

Incredibly, this was the first Sarnian victory on enemy territory for 19 years as home advantage generally holds sway. The last time an island won away had been Jersey at the Hougue du Pommier nine years ago.

Nearly a decade on the Guernsey team produced an emphatic display over all six rinks to roll out overall winners by 13 shots.

The match is played over six rinks of four players, with the total score determining the winners.

Guernsey were blooding three new players in Tigers Junior Club members Connor Rabey (11), Thomas Mahy (14) and Michael Le Page (18).

They joined a further five players who are still under 21.

Rabey joined forces at second with Garry Collins at lead, Terry Lawrence at third and a hot Matt Le Ber at skip to score Guernsey’s second best win by 23 shots to 12 against Gus McKinnon’s rink.

Jersey skip McKinnon, an experienced campaigner, was full of praise for all the youngsters selected by the Guernsey selectors and described Le Ber’s performance as ‘awesome’.

Meanwhile Mahy played second with Richard Hill at lead, president Steve Desperques at third and Neal Mollet at skip to secure an emphatic 25-11 victory over Cyril Renouf’s rink.

Mollet’s men led 5-3 at seven ends, but an amazing count of seven shots on the eighth end, followed by five singles without reply, set them on their way to victory in a game where Mollet also excelled at skip.

Guernsey’s other winning performance came from Alan Merrien, Roy Queripel, John Wallis and Paul Merrien, who won a nail-biting encounter with Ross Davis, Michael Rive, Michael Videgrain and Jersey’s showman Thomas Greechan.

Guernsey looked comfortable after 14 ends when they led 17-6, but the Jersey side took the next six, including a four on the 20th end, to level the scores.

On the 21st and last end, which took place just inside the four-hour time limit, Wallis ditched the jack and followed through with his bowl, much to the delight of the Guernsey contingent of spectators.

The Wallis bowl lay 15 inches from the jack and Greechan could only attempt to draw to the edge of the ditch, which he duly achieved.

Paul Merrien followed him and rested his bowl against Greechan’s and the umpire was called to determine the result.

Greechan was confident and indicated to the crowd that the game was his in his usual exuberant manner, but the umpire’s measure told a different story and Guernsey emerged with two shots to take the match 19-17, much to the delight of the Guernsey contingent.

Six-rink team games are as much about keeping it tight and not losing by too many if other teams are winning and the other three Guernsey rinks played their part in the overall success.

Todd Priaulx, Will Ceillam, Steve Bichard and skip Paul Ingrouille, who was called in to play in place of Ricky Brehaut who withdrew from the team for personal reasons, came out of their encounter with Scott Ruderham’s rink with a 21-21 draw.

The Guernsey side had led 21-12 at 15 ends, but the Jersey four took three singles and three doubles to level the match as Ingrouille’s team concentrated on playing defensively.

Ruderham earned the draw with an inch-perfect final delivery after Bichard had played two excellent ones to leave Guernsey with shot bowl less than four inches from the jack.

Gary Pitschou’s rink of Mike Le Noury, Keith de la Mare and Steve Le Noury went down by 24 shots to 19 to Brian Bisson’s, but played their part in the overall team victory by pulling back from 24-9 down at 17 ends with two doubles, a single and a five to close Jersey’s winning margin.

Dan de la Mare’s young team of Shaun Bichard, Michael Le Page and Kris Bichard also played their part, despite going down 21-12 to Alan Shaw’s rink.

Shaw, who is more usually seen playing at the front end of Jersey’s international teams, had an inspired game and appeared to be able to do no wrong, despite the best efforts of the Guernsey side who managed to get many of their brightly coloured bowls into the head.

Overall, Guernsey amassed 119 shots and Jersey 106 and as a result Jersey manager Ty Thomas presented opposite number Desperques with the trophy which includes a barometer, which was definitely set to fair.