College can take positives from loss

ELIZABETH COLLEGE has a wonderful tradition in local cricket. Many of the island's best cricketers have been produced at that fine old institution as the pavilion at the College Field testifies.

A look at the centurions board from Inter-Collegiate matches against Victoria College and you can see some well-known names such as Robin Roussel, Keith Howick, Mike Webber and the most recently added, albeit some 15 years or so ago, Stuart Mackay.

Of course, the latter was the last Guernseyman to score a century in the inter-insular as well. That was also at the picturesque setting of the College Field in 1989.

It was also the case, up until very recently, that a decent proportion of a College first XI would-be First Division regulars and not just there to make up the numbers. They would be playing integral parts for their club sides whether it be as batsmen or bowlers, or both.

So what of the College first XI of 2003?

Well, there is not the number of recognisable names on the team sheet as perhaps there once was and, realistically, at present there are only one or two players who could feature predominantly in the top flight.

But nevertheless, in their latest Afternoon League One match with Salemites the students showed some positive signs, even if the match ended in defeat.

The guidance of Guernsey's Indian star Ami Banerjee certainly seems to help as he always has one or two little pieces of advice on technique to offer to all his players.

Salemites are enjoying a very comfortable season after relegation from both Premier One and the GCA Championship last year and on this occaasion they always had a bit too much quality and experience for the College.

After Steve Le Ray had won the toss, Darren Tourtel and Martin Gray gave their side a solid start, adding 34 for the opening wicket. But the match-winning partnership came after the dismissal of Tourtel for 18.

The skipper joined Gray in the middle and they took the game away from the home side with a stand of 128.

Gray had already settled nicely by this point and he crashed a couple of delightful drives for boundaries, while Le Ray was content to push the ball around early on, picking up singles mainly. He would later start finding the boundary with one particularly majestic cover drive.

Both reached deserved half centuries and it was not until the 33rd over, McClymont's second after returning to the attack, that the partnership was broken as Gray was trapped plum in front for 64. Le Ray followed in the next over for 62.

The rest of the batsmen chipped in over the final few overs to take Salemites past the 200 mark while McClymont finished with four wickets and Gallienne two.

The target always looked too big an ask but College did look to bat positively and in James Warr they have someone whose potential is starting to bear fruit.

He is the class act in the XI and his 47 included shots played all around the wicket - drives, cuts and pulls - with six of them going for boundaries.

Skipper Gallienne, Tom Le Tissier, Mark Wyeth, Charles Rix and Danny Good all made contributions as well, although none of them could go on from their decent starts. Meanwhile, the two Galliennes - Richard and Trevor - both took three wickets for Salemites.

The College finished 61 runs short but they were more competitive than that suggests.