Wanderers worries so needless

WANDERERS' anxious wait is over. The Guernsey champions have, for weeks, been biting their nails and spending endless hours with their calculators working through all the possibilities of how they could qualify for the Channel Islands Club Championship.

In the end it came down to a simple equation - beat Randy Paddle Mavericks in their last fixture at the KGV on Saturday.

And thanks to an efficient performance against depleted opponents, Dave Piesing's men did just that and clinched their place in the Carey Olsen Champion-ship top four.

In doing so, they also ensured Clubhouse Optimists would qualify for the CI Championship while Mavericks have to settle for a place in the Sid Guy Trophy.

'We are not sure whether we are going to be third or fourth yet and obviously that will dictate which group we are in, but we are just glad to be in it,' said Piesing.

'Everyone is looking forward to our next game on 24 July, wherever that may be.'

It was a day when most things went right for Piesing from the moment he won the toss.

Vince Kenny, still struggling with injury, and Robbie Moore were both composed in an opening stand of 27 and managed to see off Pierre Moody, but his replacement from the de Beauvoir End, Spencer Noyon, made the breakthrough in his first over as Kenny sliced to point.

He went on to capture the second wicket after the addition of 20 more runs with Moody taking the catch high above his head at mid-off to dismiss Justin Walker.

But the vital partnership was to be that of Moore and Justin Meades and Wanderers did not allow it to realise more than 37.

The skipper had played an assured knock and Meades looked as confident as ever, if slightly more conservative knowing there was little more in terms of batting to come.

But the introduction of Steve Birkett proved to be crucial on a pitch that took spin.

In the left-armer's fourth over, the 29th of the innings, the Australian gave a great chance to Keith Le Cheminant, who spilled it at extra cover and then Moore got a leading edge which somehow dropped safely to ground.

But the pressure being exerted soon told and Andrew Cooper, who bowled a very tidy 10-over spell, removed Moore as the batsman had a rush of blood.

From that point it was all Wanderers.

Jarrod Avery fell in Piesing's first over, looking to hit over mid-wicket and then five wickets fell for just five runs.

The vital wicket of Meades was claimed by the Wanderers skipper with Mick Fooks taking a sharp stumping before Le Cheminant made amends by catching Andy Boyce off Birkett.

The CI over-50s all-rounder soon added the wickets of the Orme brothers in successive deliveries as Jon holed out to Gary Tapp at long-on and Andy was brilliantly caught by the bowler running backwards and taking an over-the-shoulder chance.

As the collapse continued, Piesing claimed his third wicket, that of Latif Khankashi, before Moody returned to clean up Karl Ogier and end the innings.

Chasing 125 never looked like causing Wanderers too many problems and although Kenny took a sharp catch in the gully to dismiss Noyon, Tim Belton and Richard Veillard guided them to 95 before another wicket fell.

The opener again played the anchor role while Veillard looked in superb touch as he struck seven imperious boundaries in his 50 made from just 42 balls.

Mavericks managed a couple more consolation wickets, Veillard falling to Rashid Frihmat and Tapp edging one to slip when Kenny made another fine grasp, so it was left to Belton to stroke the winning boundary through the covers and his team-mates breathed a sigh of relief.

'We played probably as well as we have done all season,' said Piesing.

'I put them in because I thought it was going to be a seamers' track, although as it turned out, it turned square.

'Another reason was that they had a few dangerous hitters and I thought we would rather be chasing later in the game than trying to stem the flow of runs.

'Generally though, I thought we bowled very well and batted sensibly.'

Moore was left to reflect on the frustration of having such a long injury list.

'To still have eight wickets left with 15 overs to go is not a bad position but then you lose five or six wickets for just five runs and it kills you.

'We probably needed Meadesy or myself to bat through and get 70 or 80 and then have someone else get a quick 40, but fair play to them for the way they played,' he said.