Ton Ami a friend indeed

AMI BANERJEE was the star, but a great team performance from the Guernsey Cricket Board XI saw them overcome the Dutch Flamingo A team yesterday. In blazing sunshine at the KGV, the Indian master hit a well paced 107 not out as the home side notched up 259 for four in the first game of the three-match series.

The total proved too much for the visitors as the Sarnians performed well with the ball to bowl the Dutch out for 135.

'It was great and it's always good to score a hundred,' said Banerjee.

'It was a great team performance and everyone gave 100 per cent in this match.'

Things did not start off so brilliantly for Guernsey as they lost Jeremy Frith in the first over. He was bowled by one that nipped back from Mudassar Bukhari.

The lively Dutch seamer, who goes by the moniker of 'Boom Boom', proceeded to make life difficult along with his new ball partner Mohsin Ghaznavi for Banerjee and opener Matt Oliver.

The batting side found themselves with just 25 on the board after 11 overs. Only when these two were replaced did Banerjee and Oliver start to get into the swing of things.

Left-hander Oliver played his usual aggressive game and was the first to reach his 50 while Banerjee was more content in playing the anchor role. Their 100 partnership came up in the 24th over.

Both their innings were not chanceless: Oliver was dropped on 64 off the bowling of Maarten Mol and keeper Steven de Bruin put down Banerjee when the score was on 150.

Ten runs later, the partnership was broken in the 34th over when de Bruin held onto an edge off Oliver from the medium pace bowling of Mol as the Guernseyman was looking to push on. Oliver had 71 runs to his name.

That brought to the wicket the in-form GH Smit, who seems to be scoring runs for fun at the moment.

The big-hitting South African did a job as he hit 37 off 43 balls before being caught by Maarten van Lerschot at midwicket as he went to pull Jelte Schoonheim.

On his debut as captain, Stuart Le Prevost went for one, bowled by the re-introduced Bukhari.

Banerjee reached his ton in the 49th over with a push into covers off Bukhari that was followed the next ball by the shot of the match as Justin Meades launched the quickie back over his head for a massive six.

The Australian finished the innings with another straight hit that went for four off Ghaznavi that made umpire John Wills take evasive action by going to ground.

There were murmurs around the ground that Guernsey were about 20 runs short with their total of 259 but those worries were soon put to rest as the Dutch openers, Tom de Grooth and van Lerschot, found life as difficult as hosts' had.

That was thanks to some tight fast bowling from Cobo pair Blane Queripel and Peter Le Hegarat.

With the score 54 in the 17th over, the Dutch partnership was broken when the tall van Lerschot clipped a slow and low full toss from first change bowler Banerjee down Le Hegarat's throat at fine leg. That kicked off a mini collapse as de Grooth and de Bruin followed for just three more runs.

Kris Moherndl also bowled impressively and the introduction of spin from Frith and Gary Rich strangled the proceedings for the Dutch as they succumbed for 135 in the 45th over.

Veteran Cobo off spinner Rich returned the best figures with four for 28 from his 10 overs.

'It was a good performance. After losing Frithy in the first over we brought it back really well,' said Le Prevost.

'After the 35th over we were looking at 275 to 280, but full credit to their bowlers, they bowled well at the end.

'And it was very pleasing the way we bowled.

'It's always the plan to get some tight overs in at the start, which is where we've lacked in the past, and then get the spinners on.

'I'm just very pleased - the guys stuck at it well. It's always nice to beat a side you've never played before.'