Two marvellous tons ease visitors to win

A STRONG MCC XI coasted to a 78-run victory as they kicked off their annual tour against the GICC at the KGV yesterday. A superb second-wicket stand worth 219 between Alan Gofton and Ian Fletcher, both of whom made centuries, was the highlight of an encounter in which the visitors showed that they will once again undoubtedly test the full island side tomorrow.

When Steve Queripel struck in his second over by removing opener Dan Beynon, the GICC's confidence was given an early boost. Little did they know that they would have to wait until the 40th over to celebrate another, by which time Gofton and Fletcher had done the damage.

The tall opener produced some classical strokes in playing the anchor role to perfection. His driving through the offside was a pleasure to watch.

Fletcher was more aggressive in his shots, but equally entertaining. When he hit the ball it stayed hit.

It was the number three who finished as top scorer with his 127 made from just 111 deliveries. He hit 16 fours and a couple of sixes.

Unsurprisingly, it was not the bowling that Fletcher eventually succumbed to, but an unkind call from his partner that saw him run out easily by James Falla. With the score on 228, it was hardly a disastrous mistake.

It was Murphy's Law that having been padded up for well over two hours, Mark Bredell lasted just three balls before hitting Jamie Nussbaumer to mid-wicket.

But Peter Brown joined Gofton in an unbroken stand of 52 to finish off the innings nicely. The opener ended up 115 not out including 12 boundaries having faced 154 balls.

The Optimists pair of Mark Clapham and Mark Jefferies got the reply off to a solid start against the decent new-ball attack of Michael Strong and Paul O'Reilly, adding 68 for the first wicket. Clapham was his usual conscientious self, patting back the good balls before unleashing the odd boundary, while Jefferies ticked along nicely at just less than a run-a-ball.

However, when he was trapped in front by O'Reilly for 37, the wheels started coming off the GICC cart.

The introduction of Bredell at the de Beauvoir end was the catalyst for a flurry of wickets as the hosts slipped from 80 for one to 84 for five.

Clapham was undone by a pearler that left him off the pitch and found the edge, Tim de Putron holed out to deep square leg off spinner Rob Nelson and then Bredell breached the defences of Ashley Baigent and Dominic Wheatley with successive deliveries.

Falla would soon become the fourth victim of the deceptive seamer.

Nussbaumer and Queripel provided the hosts with something to cheer about, putting on a brisk 56 with the latter's entertaining 36 coming from just 25 balls including six fours and a maximum.

The teenager was a little more watchful, but his 45 was also a fine knock.

Matt Dickson accounted for both of them, but Rob Turville's 21 ensured the GICC passed 200 and made a respectable fist of things.