Howzat for safe hands: Matt Thornton snaps up the wicket of Anthony Kay at slip. (Picture by Andrew Le Poidevin, 0639458)
THERE will be an all-Sarnian final of the NatWest CI Club Championship. After a summer of frustration with Jersey edging Guernsey on a couple of now infamous occasions, at least the green isle has this consolation following two contrasting semis.
At the KGV, Wanderers’ margin of victory over St Ouen was deceptively close. Although officially a three-wicket win, the final two of the seven wickets the home side lost came with the scores already tied.
However, it required a cool, calculated knock of 56 not out from Ross Kneller to see his team across the finish line as they slumped to seven for three chasing 98.
Wanderers had bowled excellently after captain Ben Driver had won the toss at a damp KGV. Australian all-rounder Ben Taylor led the way with a superb opening spell of left-arm seam. Sometimes figures can flatter, but his three wickets for seven runs was a thoroughly deserved return.
His first scalp was the vital one of opposing skipper and fellow countryman Dean Morrison, whom he bowled for a single with his fourth delivery, and he was to add Mark Tribe and Simon Short to his tally.
The rest of the attack backed up that outstanding start as only three visiting batsmen reached double figures. The pick of those was Richard Gomersall, whose 27 at number six salvaged the St Ouen innings.
There were a couple of wickets apiece for James Warr and Phil Challenger while the remaining three bowlers picked up one each.
‘Ben and Pierre [Moody] bowled really well and just put the pressure on them from the word go,’ said Driver.
‘We bowled in good areas and took wickets at good times. The fielding was good as well.’
St Ouen were right back in the game, though, after they had reduced Wanderers to seven for three within the opening four overs of the reply.
Warr was caught behind off Hugo Bishop, Anthony Kay grabbed a one-handed return catch to dismiss Spencer Noyon and Driver was bowled through the gate.
But Kneller remained calm and, in partnership with Taylor, dragged his side out of the mire by working the ball around and capitalising on the very occasional bad one.
Their fourth-wicket stand was worth 42 before Bishop, coming towards the end of his impressive spell, clipped Taylor’s off stump to boost the visitors’ morale once more with Wanderers still requiring 50 to win.
Moody hung around for a while before off-spinner Danny Blasco had him leg before, but, in Matt Thornton, Kneller found another partner willing to knock off the runs patiently.
They took Wanderers to the brink of victory and Thornton thought he would take them there, but Kneller refused his call for a second run which would have won them the game and he was left stranded.
Andrew Boyce then departed without troubling the scorers so Steve Birkett had to join the number three to run the winning single.
‘They bowled well, as well,’ said Driver, ‘and the pitch was not suited to big shots so it was a case of grafting out there.
‘We lost a couple of silly wickets near the end to make it look worse than it was, but we just about got there.’
Meanwhile, rain in Jersey meant that Cobo’s clash with old rivals Sporting Club Francais at Grainville was reduced to a 20-20 affair.
Having been put in, Peter Vidamour and Matt Oliver gave the visitors a decent start and the former went on to top score with a vital 42.
Lower down the order, Ben Ferbrache hit an unbeaten 21 late on and they, too, proved to be important runs as Cobo finished on 135 for nine.
With SCF reaching 43 for one after their first five overs, the match appeared to be nicely poised, but the introduction of spin killed off the hosts’ chances as Jeremy Frith ripped through the middle order with five for 20.
Article posted on 15th September, 2008 - 2.29pm
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