Tim lets bat and ball talk for him

TIM RAVENSCROFT is one to let his actions do the talking. The 15-year-old all-rounder has long been touted as a future star, even before he was taken on by the Hampshire academy.

It was no surprise, then, to see him play an integral role on his senior island debut as the Guernsey Cricket Board XI wrapped up a hugely impressive series victory with one game remaining of their three-match Fortis Trophy competition with the Dutch Flamingo A side.

Ravenscroft uttered a quick 'it was good' about his first experience alongside the island regulars, which ended in a comprehensive 80-run win, but he was itching to get away.

Why? The under-15s were playing against the under-17s at the College Field and he wanted to see if he could still play some part in that.

Whether he would have been physically able to after all the pats his back had received beforehand would have been another question.

The Elizabeth College had not plundered a magnificent century or ripped through the visitors' batting order with a five-for, it was just that he looked right at home in this company.

He came in to bat with the hosts on 59 for three and did a mature job with Jeremy Frith steadying the innings and finished as second highest scorer for the home side with a patient 36 out of a partnership of 71.

It was that fourth-wicket stand which allowed the Sarnians to press on past 200.

Later on, when given a chance with the ball, he showed he is no mean off-spinner either, claiming a couple of wickets as the Dutch were bowled out for 140.

'He did not look out of place,' said island manager Dave Hearse.

With each island squad member being given their chance to shine over the series, the team had five changes from that which won the previous day.

After Stuart Le Prevost had won the toss and chosen to bat on another beautiful day, Matt Oliver again gave his side a decent start, this time supported by Richard Veillard.

The left-hander hit a couple of typically booming drives and some powerful pull shots while his new partner was calmly going about his business.

It took a stunning catch from a flying Tom de Groth at extra cover off Mohsin Ghaznavi to dismiss Veillard with the score on 45.

In the next over, after taking some punishment from Oliver, Mudassar Bukhari decided to come around the wicket and it brought immediate dividends at Tom Heggelman took a well-judged catch at mid-off.

Bukari then produced a repeat of 24 hours earlier in hitting the top of Le Prevost's off stump to put a few butterflies in Sarnian stomachs.

But Frith and Ravenscroft soon eased the nerves with sensible, risk-free batting.

The number three has played far more fluent innings, and later admitted he had difficulty in locating the middle of his bat, but he was in no mood to give his wicket away.

Both players started finding gaps in the field and they ran excellently to keep the board ticking over despite the lack of boundaries.

They stayed together for 24 overs until a sharp piece of work by wicketkeeper Steven de Bruin off medium pacer Seelaar accounted for the teenager, but Ravenscroft had done a fine job.

Mark Jefferies came in and provided the acceleration towards the death with a couple of sweetly-timed sixes in a run-a-ball 30, while Frith brought up his half century with the best struck of his three boundaries.

Wickets tumbled at the death in the pursuit of a few more valuable runs, but Guernsey had given themselves a defendable total.

The Dutch got off to a terrible start in their reply as they slumped to one for two inside two overs.

Bukari got a slight inside edge onto his stumps from a fine Blane Queripel ball which was quick and full before de Groth hit an inviting Steve Queripel full toss straight to Stuart Bisson at mid-wicket.

Both openers bowlers picked up deserved second wickets apiece with Frith clutching a slip catch off Lesley Stokkers and Kris Moherndl pouching a beauty low down at cover to dismiss Geert Maarten Mol.

The one substantial partnership of note came from elegant left-hander de Bruin and Daan van Everdingen, who put on 57 for the fifth-wicket.

Aaron Scoones eventually made the breakthrough, although it took another great catch, this time by Blane Queripel running to his right on the square leg boundary to get rid of van Everdingen.

The spinners, helped by a couple of pieces of neat Oliver glovework, turned the screw as Frith and Ravenscroft claimed the next four wickets evenly between them before Frith's direct hit ran out last man out Jelte Schoonheim.

Hearse was delighted with how his XI, which showed five changes to Wednesday, performed.

'We have won a series which coming into we would have been happy playing well and giving a good account of ourselves.

'We have certainly done that and now we want to win three out of three,' he said.

Dutch coach Roland Lefebvre took some positives out of the game.

'On this wicket, 220 was a par score but batting-wise we were disappointing with four quick wickets and a couple of soft dismissals early on.

'The fifth-wicket pair showed with technically sound batting that it is not so difficult and it was a pity Daan got caught on the boundary to a superb catch. If those guys could have gone on, who knows?

'But your spinners were superb and controlled us. It showed playing spin is a major problem for our boys and it is a hard learning school.'