Shambrook delighted with team's application

THE Channel Islands have enjoyed more success at the prestigious Taunton festival. This time it was the under-10s who came away victorious from a rain-hit event.

On the opening day against Kent, Harry Player's 43 made from just 40 balls was the top score as the CI finished on 125 from their 30 overs. Luke Le Tissier and Matthew Stokes also contributed useful runs.

In reply, Kent were bowled out for 121 with two balls to go.

Edward Fricker claimed three for 10 while Josh Kirk, Oliver Nightingale and Stokes took two wickets apiece.

'It was a really wet wicket and very difficult to bat,' said manager Jason Shambrook.

'At one stage Kent needed 18 runs to win with five wickets in hand, so it was a good effort from our guys.'

The following day's match with Devon was washed out meaning that the CI went into a festival decider against the other first day winners, Shropshire.

The CI won an important toss and put their opponents in to bat on another wet wicket and Shropshire managed to reach 168 in their 45 overs.

Tom Sutton finished with three for 25 while leg-spinner Kirk bowled well for his two cheap wickets.

'On such a difficult wicket, we thought we were going to struggle.

'That did not turn out to be the case, though,' Shambrook said.

In fact, the CI reached their target with four wickets and more than eight overs to spare.

Player continued his fine form with an unbeaten 68 and there were valuable runs from Robert Cuming and Stokes.

'We were really pleased with the way the boys managed to apply themselves,' said Shambrook.

'Although we were initially sceptical of whether we could score that many to win, as it turned out we could have gone on to a much bigger total.'

n GUERNSEY'S under-10 and under-11 cricketers have maintained the excellent success rate of sides from the PricewaterhouseCoopers School of Excellence this summer.

The under-10s won two of their three matches on a tour of Dorset and several of those boys were upgraded to the under-11s when the English county, as well as East Devon, brought their under-11s to the island.

Luke Le Tissier was in fine form with the bat on tour, scoring 66 and an unbeaten 20.

He then proceeded to score 28 for the under-11s as they beat Dorset in their first match in Guernsey.

On the bowling front, Toby Belton took four for five in the same match and followed it up with three wickets for eight in the game against East Devon at the College Field.

In Jersey, a Guernsey under-12 XI drew two and lost two matches.