Lee Savident, pictured batting for Guernsey in Singapore at WCL Division Six, marked his inter-insular return with an unbeaten century. (Picture by ICC/Cricket Europe, 0833687)
IT ALL went to script for Lee Savident against the old enemy back in August at the KGV.
Guernsey’s only locally produced professional cricketer returned to live in the island in March and showed during the summer that he can take runs off pretty much any attack in club cricket at will.
But he had a burning desire to make his inter-insular comeback a memorable one – after all it was his first since 1995 and he had never previously been on a winning side.
By the end of that Saturday, he had written his name into the history books as he became only the second Sarnian in the 52-year history of the inter-insular – Stan Cleal was the first in 1962 – to carry his bat for an unbeaten century as the home side won by 21 runs.
Unsurprisingly, he was named man of the match for his 102 not out.
‘I told my mum yesterday that I was going to get this,’ said Savident, as he held his award after the match.
‘It’s been more than 15 years of waiting.’
The heavily-fancied Jersey side looked on course to win the trophy for the third year running when they found themselves 117 for 0 in the 33rd over chasing Guernsey’s target of 224 on a stiflingly slow and low wicket.
But a fantastic bowling and fielding display by the home side eventually restricted them to 203 for eight.
From a man who has spent many a year living in Hampshire to a girl who is the county’s under-13 cross-country champion.
Katie Rowe, who was just 11 at the time of the championships back in January and only really going for the experience, romped to a very relaxed looking win at Dibden Inclosure in the New Forest.
She also led the team of Claire Heaume, Kristina Neves and Megan Chapple to team gold.
More recently, Rowe produced the run of the weekend from the Sarnian contingent at the McCain Cross Challenge Series in Liverpool last month.
She came an excellent second out of a field of 102 of the best under-13s in the country, despite being in the bottom of the age group.
She even challenged Kathryn Gillespie inside the last 800m at Sefton Park and pulled away from the rest of the field, but Gillespie, from the Central AC in Scotland, proved stronger to take the win.
From a Sarnian who came close to winning a national title to one who did.
Chris Simpson has had a mixed year due to some injury problems, but he followed in the footsteps of some world-renowned players such as Nick Matthew and James Willstrop in winning the British under-23 squash crown.
He dropped only one game in his five matches at the Hunts County Squash Club in April – that being the first of his final against Joel Hinds from Derbyshire.
He went on to win the match 5-11, 11-2, 11-7, 11-3.
‘The event does not help my ranking, so in that respect I was not sure how big it would be for me, but looking at the names on the trophy, there are guys who have gone on to big things in British and international squash,’ Simpson said.
Although the 22-year-old Sarnian was unable to add to his two PSA Tour titles in 2009, in September he did rise to No. 38 in the world – his highest ranking so far.
In 2010, he has the Commonwealth Games on his radar, as do four athletes who wowed the crowd on the final day of the NatWest Island Games in Aland.
Dale Garland’s late appearance at the Games heightened interest among the whole of Team Guernsey as to what the Sarnian 4×400m quartet could achieve and they delivered in grand style.
The aim, in the absence of any true rivals in the race, was the Commonweaelth consideration time of 3min. 13.6sec.
Hywel Robinson gave his side the ideal start and Matt Bailey also produced a strong leg before Tom Druce took over.
The exact splits were not known in the new Games record time of 3-12.38, but his would have been very quick as he pulled away from the nearest challengers, the Isle of Man.
Garland then did what Garland does and completed his lap in around 45sec.
Cue the celebrations.
Back in Guernsey, such is the popularity of boxing open shows nowadays that the Amalgamated Boys Club hold two a year at Beau Sejour and both are sold out in the blink of an eye.
But there was an extra special flavour to the one held in February this year as inter-island bouts made a long overdue return to the bill.
Matt Walsh, indisputably the island’s finest boxer of the modern generation but now retired, described it ‘as absolutely brilliant’.
‘They’ve only got four or five inter-island bouts, but they get the crowd going. People are more interested in them than watching two open class boxers. It means more to the locals.’Sporting Highlights of 2009: Guernsey all-rounder carries his bat for 102 against old enemy
Article posted on 24th December, 2009 - 2.29pm
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