Prolific Duke leads Rovers to the double

C&W ROVERS are the kings of Guernsey cricket after completing the league double. At the KGV last night, Tim Duke's men cruised past Aon St Saviour's in their final Barclays Premier One match of the season to add the Evening League crown to the Carey Olsen Championship that they won last month.

'We are chuffed to bits,' said the skipper after the 49-run victory, their 13th straight evening win after they lost the opening game of their campaign to eventual runners-up Total Cobo.

'We did not start the season too well but we all sat down, had a talk about things and turned it around. Everyone has had a good part to play.'

No one more so than the skipper himself.

Yesterday Duke completed an astonishing run of carrying his bat for unbeaten half-centuries in seven consecutive evening games.

Liam Smyth was the last man to dismiss the island all-rounder in the competition and that was on 28 June when Rovers completed the first half of their season. Since then, Duke has scored a total of 484 runs at a strike rate of 135.19. He finished with an average of 90.

'I have had a purple patch in the past few weeks, although I have had a bit of luck,' said a modest Duke.

Last night he added a mere 52 not out to his tally as he was prepared to play second fiddle to Ed Benfield.

Coming in at 35 for one following the dismissal of Richard Headington for a useful 21, the one-time island cap took some mediocre bowling apart with his typically brutal stroke play.

Benfield hit sixes over square leg and mid-wicket to add to the nine fours he struck as he bludgeoned 66 from just 36 deliveries to take the game away from Saints.

Together with his captain, he put on 110 in a little more than nine overs for the second wicket and the game was all but over.

Ross Bateman and Spencer Noyon put up a spirited fight at the start of the St Saviour's reply, putting on 61 before the latter missed a straight one from Headington in the eighth over.

Stuart Bisson then bowled Bateman behind his legs in the following over, which helped slow the run-rate and allowed Rovers to enjoy the moment knowing that the champagne would soon be flowing.

Nick Derbyshire returned to add two wickets to his tally for the season late on but by then it was academic - Rovers already knew that they were champions.

'We have had some tough games and in some, unlike tonight, we have had some low totals to defend. But all the bowlers have performed well and we have managed to do it,' Duke said.

'We still have two more competitions to play for, the CI Club Championship and the GCA Cup, and we are as keen as mustard to do well in both of them.'

Guernsey's double winners' next match is away to Old Victorians tomorrow at FB Fields.