Hearse left feeling unsatisfied by navy romp

GUERNSEY coasted to a 121-run victory over the Royal Navy Under-25s in one of the most one-sided matches to be seen at KGV this summer. Plenty of runs scored by the in-form batsmen, wickets for the bowlers and a comprehensive victory - all the ingredients for a happy island manager. Yet Dave Hearse was left feeling a bit unsatisfied.

'However, I thought that the navy might be stronger than that batting-wise. There was not enough of a test for our bowlers. A bit of lethargy came into it in the field for us and we definitely should have finished them off. When we took some early wickets we killed the game. But it was nice to win again.'

Headington spent every one of the 642 balls bowled on Friday involved in the game.

The Rovers man carried his bat for an unbeaten 113 as Guernsey racked up an imposing 304 for three from their 50 overs, then swapped his batting pads for wicket-keeping ones. If a few minor fumbles crept into his game at the very end of the day, he could be forgiven: his legs were looking very heavy.

All the batters filled their boots against an adequate if not particularly penetrative navy bowling attack, with the exception of Matt Oliver, who was unlucky to be dropped at second slip and caught at first on the rebound.

But it was not the test some had anticipated.

The navy were Jekyll and Hyde in the field. Sharp around the ground, good flat throwing arms, and yet a couple of basic catching errors cost them dearly.

Ami Banerjee gave a return chance which was spilled, Headington was dropped on 41 and Abdy Biggins launched the highest shot of the day which the keeper never looked like catching.

Oliver was out with the score on 18; the next wicket would not fall until 104 and the third on 229. It was a long day for the navy fielders.

Banerjee was accelerating and looking set for a big score when he was bowled. It was a shock to all: the mercurial Indian's defence had been a brick wall, his attacking shots all wristy flicks and some beautifully-timed drives. Then he tried to force the bowler through mid-on and had middle and leg clattered. His eight boundaries showed that he was waiting for the bad ball and then punishing it mercilessly.

Headington had three spells of inactivity during his knock - 14, 11 and 14 dot balls when he fell temporarily dormant, only to wake up with punching drives. His shots came all around the wicket. He pulled hard behind square, cut through point with fine accuracy and leant into his drives with minimum effort but maximum efficiency.

The chance he gave was a pull which died on the square-leg fielder, though he should have held the low catch tumbling forward.

Headington made them pay. His 50 came up in 88 balls, with 11 boundaries. The ton was reached 43 balls later, with another six fours and a big six for good measure.

Biggins was also in no mood to hang around. He quickly tucked into some wayward bowling, depositing one contemptuous flick off his toes well over the rope at square-leg. His 50 came up in 40 balls, with seven fours and two sixes.

When he was bowled by a slower ball, it gave Stu Le Prevost just the chance he enjoys. A brisk and brutal 16 balls later, the Cobo man was walking off the pitch with an unbeaten 35 to his name. Three boundaries, a couple of sixes, just one dot ball, thank you very much.

The visitors obviously were not sure whether Le Prevost's first effortless flick off his toes for four was a fluke and so dished up a couple more leg-stump half-volleys to test him.

They also contrived to add 43 extras to the score, of which 26 were wides and no-balls.

With so many runs in the bank, the Guernsey bowlers knew they could go all-out on the attack. And it was a pretty formidable pace attack. Nick Derbyshire and Matt Jeffery took the new ball, with Divan van den Heever and Banerjee on as change bowlers. Gary Rich added then spin option and there was even time late on for a most unlikely wicket-taker.

And it was turgid going. The batters didn't like Derbyshire or Jeffery's pace. The important wicket was that of Chris Penner, a Combined Services left-hander who nicked his very first ball behind.

The visitors showed fine defensive technique but absolutely no commitment to attack. At 20 overs it was 24 for five.

Justin Meades held a sharp chance at gulley, Banerjee speared one through Tom Brogan and finally Stu Robinson's 51-ball agony was ended.

On his return, Derbyshire grabbed a deserved wicket as Le Prevost showed safe hands at slip: 34 for six.

It should have all been over before the second drinks break but Guernsey took their foot off the pedal.

Admittedly, Rhys Barker and Peter Hough were batting lower than they usually do, but their 74-run partnership, and then the 56 put on by Hough and Ed Moss-Ward could have been snuffed out.

It was physically tiring for the Guernsey fielders: and as a final treat, however, Oliver was tossed the ball and he responded by turning one almost square out out of Jeffery's footholes and bowling the previously solid Hough behind his legs.