The Guernsey team, from left to right, Glenn Le Prevost, Graham Peel, Adrian Lihou, captain Adam Shorto and John Skillett. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 0570876)

ICE-COOL Adam Shorto was the toast of the Gremlin Club in the early hours of yesterday morning as Guernsey regained the Lt-Colonel R. W. Randell Challenge Cup.

An epic inter-insular encounter came down to a sudden-death, winner-takes-all frame, the sides having finished level at 5-5.

It was the Guernsey champion and first-time island captain Shorto who held his nerve to see off a formidable opponent in Gary Britton in tremendous style 79-8 to put the icing on the cake of a heroic performance from the underdogs.  ‘I actually felt all right [going into the play-off]. I felt more nervous in my first match of the night,’ said Shorto, who had taken the number-one slot in the team line-up.’