Carlyon turns the screw

GUERNSEY players and fans alike should be grateful that Tony Carlyon plans not to play for Jersey any more. For so long the bane of Sarnian cricketers, the all-rounder turned in an astonishing bowling performance to set Sporting Club Francais on their way to victory in the KPMG CI Club Championship final against Total Cobo.

Less than a month ago, Carlyon returned figures of two for five from his nine overs against the two-time defending champions in the group stage of the competition.

He somehow managed to improve on that at the KGV, demonstrating the virtues of bowling an accurate line and length to finish with two for two from his nine overs, eight of which were maidens.

His first wicket was that of Peter Vidamour and his second the big one of Stuart Le Prevost. The Cobo captain was aggrieved at the caught behind decision, believing his bat had hit his pad rather than the ball, but it was no more than Carlyon deserved.

And to think he believes it is time for the next generation to take his place in the Jersey side.

His club captain, Mathew Hague, who is also the island skipper, was in no doubt that the umpires had been correct in their choice of Carlyon as man of the match.

'Tony's performance was phenomenal,' he said.

'In two matches against Cobo he has bowled 18 overs, 15 maidens and taken four for seven - that is absolutely fantastic by anyone's standards.'

On a slow track, the batsmen had to work hard for their runs as Cobo's painfully slow start showed.

In the absence of Jeremy Frith, Mark Renouf was promoted to open to see off the new ball and did his job but he saw Vidamour, Le Prevost and Jamie Nussbaumer depart at the other end.

Nussbaumer was a deserved scalp for Mark Reynolds, who continues to be a consistent performer for SCF.

When Renouf went for 20, Cobo were 59 for four in the 28th over.

But Gary Rich and Robbie Moore gave the innings much-needed impetus, with the latter in particular showing excellent timing.

Moore raced to a run-a-ball half century although he ended with a runner after pulling a hamstring.

Together the fifth-wicket pairing added 74 and some lusty blows from Rich late on pushed his side up to 158 from their 45 overs.

Le Prevost later admitted that it wasn't enough although had Cobo managed to claim one more early wicket than the two they got, it could have made for a dramatic finale.

As it was, Blane Queripel got rid of Steve Carlyon and Nussbaumer dismissed Justin Le Fort - both bowled.

Hague survived a couple of loud lbw shouts before putting together a superb stand of 110 with Meeku Patidar, who batted excellently.

The skipper was dismissed just before the end for 59 made from 97 balls while Patidar scored an unbeaten 64 from the same number of deliveries.

Fittingly, though, Tony Carlyon was there at the end to strike the winning boundary.

'We had to work hard for it,' said Hague. 'It was not an easy track to bat on and they did well to get up to 158.

'Losing two wickets early on put the pressure on us but that partnership between Meeku and myself settled things down and took us home. He has batted well all year and I enjoy batting with him.

'Under the new format which has been used since 2004, this is a fantastic competition and one you want to do well in so we are really happy to have won it.'

Le Prevost was disappointed not to have retained the title for the third successive year.

'When you are playing against Sporting Club you need to set them a more testing target than 158 in 45 overs,' he said.

'However, Tony bowled superbly once again and proved virtually impossible to get away.

'Our bowling was pretty good and if we could have got one more early wicket it could have made for an exciting finish, but we just did not have enough runs to play with.'

Scorecard Page 42

n IT IS not often that you can say that extras determine a match.

But in yesterday's Carey Olsen GCA Cup semi-final between Total Cobo and PKF Wanderers, Cobo will be certainly ruing the 61 added runs they gave to their opponents in the form of wides, byes and leg byes.

Chasing a low 180 to win from 50 overs, Wanderers were looking set at 103 for three, helped by Cobo's wayward bowling.

The introduction of Adam Robin in the 33rd over threatened to swing the game Cobo's way when he got rid of dangerman Richard Veillard for 54 and then Andrew Boyce in the same over.

Wanderers eventually crept over the line eight wickets down in a tense environment with one over to go.

Phil Challenger smashed a four to win off Robin after sedately batting out the previous five overs.

Earlier, Cobo were pegged back by Wanderers' new signing, Sher Khanagha, who took seven for 37 with his whippy seam bowling. He did not impress as much with the bat, though, scoring only one.