Pessimists coast home

VICTORIES do not come much easier than this. Sylvans have certainly exceeded expectations during their first season in the top flight and have impressed many along the way, but last night NRG Pessimists inflicted a thoroughly comprehensive defeat on Pete Inniss' side.

A 10-wicket winning margin with more than six overs to spare emphasises the scale of the hammering.

Batting first, Sylvans' wickets fell like dominoes once the opening partnership of Paul Wickham and Richard Gallienne had been broken.

They have enjoyed their time in Premier One and on this occasion they put on a solid stand of 25 in five overs before Wickham was caught by Aaron Le Mesurier to give Steve Birkett the first of his four wickets.

In the following over, Gallienne took to Keith Le Cheminant, hitting him for three boundaries but things began going drastically wrong soon after.

Birkett trapped Chris McClean leg before and in his next over Gallienne was run out and Andre Austin was bowled. Sylvans had lost three wickets for seven runs.

Vinny de Carteret was next to go, falling to the same combination that dismissed Wickham, to leave the reds languishing at 54 for five.

Inniss and Martin Gauvain managed to stay together and add a useful 20 but Pierre Moody ripped through Gauvain's defence to spark another collapse.

In the same over, the captain mistimed one to mid-wicket and Andy McCarthy was well short of his ground soon after.

To complete the misery for Sylvans, Moody had Carl Wallbridge caught behind off a top edge and was then too quick for Ivan Guille two balls later as the innings was wrapped up for 84 with three balls remaining.

Even without Tim Duke, who should return shortly from his hand injury, Pessimists made very light work of the run chase.

Tim Belton and Pete Matthews were the only batsmen needed as they calmly picked up the required runs against some wayward bowling.

Belton played a couple of delightful strokes including a classical off-drive in his 41, while Matthews hit the one six of the night over deep square-leg off Austin. He finished on 28.