Savident stars on a sticky wicket

GUERNSEY won their first competitive international cricket fixture in front of anti-Israeli demonstrators who were at the ground expecting to confront the Israel team. Dave Hearse's side comfortably beat Gibraltar in their opening ECC European Division Two group match, the Sarnians winning by seven wickets after successfully chasing just 92 runs at the Weir's Cricket Club.

Israel were due to play Jersey at the Southside ground, but it was cancelled on Wednesday due to security reasons.

The organisers announced they had moved Guernsey's opening Group Two match from Old Anniesland to Weir's just two hours before the start. They gave no official reason to the Guernsey management as to why.

A handful of protestors had turned up at the entrance of the ground expecting to demonstrate, but they soon left with little fuss when club staff told them that the Israeli team were not playing.

As a result the police were at the ground for most of the day.

'I think there were a few demonstrators there, but it's difficult to say because there is a big Asian community in the area,' said island manager Dave Hearse.

'There wasn't any visible demonstrating. There weren't any banners.

'The only thing we've seen is some police presence.'

To add to the players' problems, with the match due to start at 11am, proceedings were delayed until 1.45pm to allow the wet wicket to dry out.

It had remained uncovered for all of the previous day which saw heavy rain fall and it was damp to say the least.

'The most important thing today in the first game was to win,' said Hearse afterwards.

'It takes the pressure off. I think we had a slight advantage as we're more used to playing on those type of wickets than they are.'

'But we bowled very tightly and we took wickets at the right time.'

After winning the toss, Guernsey captain Andy Biggins had no hesitation in asking the Gibraltans to bat on an absolute pudding.

For the first few overs Gibraltar's openers, Christian Rocca and Mark Barcarese, did not seem to find the conditions too hard going as they started to put some runs on the board, albeit at a slow pace.

Rocca, Gibraltar's captain and top batsman, had almost been dismissed off the first delivery he faced, bowled by Savident, when he was nearly caught at cover by a leaping Stuart Bisson. But the former Hampshire professional got his man in the 16th over with a ball that nipped back and did him through the gate.

Barcarese was the next to go when he tried to lift Pierre Moody over the top and only succeeded in chipping the ball to Bisson back in the covers. Moody bowled a tight line and length throughout his allotted eight overs before the introduction of Frith with his left-arm spin.

A spinner really should have come on earlier on a wicket that was conducive to turn and the results were soon forthcoming.

Frith trapped Steven Gonzalez on the backfoot with a quicker arm ball after tossing a couple up.

At the 20-over halfway stage, Gibraltar found themselves struggling at 36 for three.

Things got worse for them when off spinner Gary Rich came on to join Frith. The veteran immediately dropped it onto a length to pick up the wicket of Karan Aswani.

The 18-year-old right-hander had a rush of blood, jumped down the wicket, missed and was casually stumped by Matt Oliver. Wickets continued to fall for the Gibraltar while Rex Purnell in a distinctive red helmet got his head down to graft runs for his team.

Kabir Mirpuri, coming in at eight, helped him with a patient 20 before he was caught by Savident off Bisson's seamers. Purnell carried his bat with 23 not out from 67 balls.

'In the batting, Lee got us off to a flyer and this was essential when chasing a small total,' said Hearse.

Savident hit eight boundaries, including two sixes, in a quickfire 43 to earn the man of the match award.

'I'm disappointed to lose and I think the toss played a big part in the match but they are a good side,' said Rocca.