This Is Guernsey

By Rob Batiste

GUERNSEY Tigers very nearly blew a comfortable advantage in the closing singles of their clash with Jersey’s top juniors at Grainville.

Going into the singles the visitors were 10 points to six up and needing just two wins to earn a draw.  But the finish line looked a long way off as four of the elder Sarnians were all defeated quite heavily, leaving it to Todd Priaulx  and Thomas Mahy (pictured) to save the day.

Against Rachel MacDonald, Priaulx emerged victorious 21-15, but it was not looking so good in the final rubber where the 14-year-old Mahy was trailing 20-11 and within one point of defeat against 20-year-old Mike Rive.

Going for the jugular Rive shortened the mat up and tried to fire the jack into the ditch followed by his bowl to bring an end to the match.

But he missed and Mahy drew a back toucher which seemed to rattle Rive, who dropped a three that end, followed by another three, two singles and a brace for Mahy to snatch a remarkable victory from the jaws of defeat.

So, much to Jersey’s disappointment, the match ended in a draw.

Day one of the clash had opened with two games of triples and one fours.

The Guernsey four, which comprised Blair Howitt, Scott Le Page and Kris and Shaun Bichard, stormed into a 12-1 lead over their Jersey counterparts skipped by Malcolm de Sousa.

But the Caesareans fought back and by picking up seven shots on the last three ends lost by just one to a relieved Guernsey team.

The Tigers triples were not quite so fortunate: with Priaulx skipping, Marie Staples and Mahy were always chasing their game.

The Jersey team, skipped by Gregg Davis, who flew over from Southampton University to compete, went 8-1 up after six ends but Priaulx’s trio picked up a six on the seventh to get within one shot. It was a gallant display by Priaulx’s young team, who finally lost 17-12.

Will Ceillam, Guernsey’s adopted son from Alderney, was playing with young Connor Rabey and Michael Le Page and they led all the way against Jersey, who were skipped by Scott Ruderham.

Going into the final two ends, Ceillam’s team were four shots up, but an unlucky trail of the jack by the skip’s bowl gave the Jersey team a three, onto which they managed to hold and in the final end the home trio picked up two more to nick it 18-17.

In the pairs Guernsey came into their own, with Mahy pairing up with Kris Bichard to beat Davis and Ryan Videgrain 18-12.

Staples and Le Page beat Ross Davies and Erin Edwards  18-14 and Shaun Bichard and 11-year-old Conor Rabey beat Ruderham and   MacDonald 17-15.

Rabey didn’t put a foot wrong and led superbly, justifying his place in the senior inter-insular the week before.

Ceillam was teamed up with Connor’s elder sister, 14-year-old Sophie, against de Sousa and Herve and unfortunately it was turning out to be a bad day for Ceillam who went down 23-7.

Priaulx paired up with 11-year-old Chris Staples and with the latter doing more than his skip could ask by leading brilliantly, they beat Rive and Ben Evans 18-11.

Team manager Steve Bichard was happy enough with the outcome.

‘On the whole it was a good team performance, but the singles are something we will have to work on in preparation for next year.’