Sarnians crash to hosts on last day

GUERNSEY certainly had a day to forget yesterday. In the final game of the triangular tournament with Jersey and France at Grainville, the Sarnians were dismissed for just 73 by the Caesareans, who knocked off the target for the loss of just four wickets.

On Friday, the island side had defeated a woeful France by 144 runs, who then lost to Jersey the day after by nine wickets after they were all out for 74.

For Dave Hearse, the Guernsey manager, there were two disappointing aspects from the weekend - his side's performance against Jersey and the standard of the French.

Yesterday's result does not bode well for the inter-insular next month.

'We're very disappointed, but I think when you've been involved in sport for a very long time you get these days and they haven't become a bad team overnight,' said Hearse after yesterday's defeat.

'It's a matter of now training hard for the next three weeks to make things right on the day. Batting was very difficult today and Jersey bowled very well in the conditions, especially Ryan Driver and Tony Carlyon.

'We could have had a bit more application. If we had 120-130 on the batting it could have been a winning total.

'I'm sure that the XI who go onto the pitch on the 11 August will want to put this defeat right. It was unfortunate that France were poor, but I think that we played like France in disguise today.'

After winning the toss, Stuart Le Prevost, in his first season as Guernsey captain, decided to bat. It was a choice that some people found quite strange as the Grainville wicket had been susceptible to movement off its surface all weekend.

'I think we can dwell on that for ages,' said Le Prevost of his decision.

'I would like to think that if we batted second we could have restricted them as well. One hundred and fifty to 160 would have been a very defendable score.

'These things happen. The wicket played a lot slower and we didn't apply ourselves.'

The call looked a bad one as Jersey's opening bowlers Chris Jones and Driver especially got the ball to jag about alarmingly.

But it was Carlyon who turned out to be the match winner as the medium pacer took six wickets for just seven runs from his 10 overs dismissing Guernsey's big guns Ami Banerjee, Andy Biggins, GH Smit and Le Prevost in the process.

'It was doing quite a lot today, seaming around. I just put it on the spot and fortunately today it worked well,' said Carlyon afterwards.

'I think to be fair to us as a team today, we bowled very well. If you put the ball in the right areas it fell into place.

'I'm sure that Guernsey will come back stronger. We're looking forward to the inter-insular.

'Guernsey have had a tremendous run like we did. Fingers crossed if we play well will come back with the trophy.

'Guernsey can't be judged on their performance today.'

In reply, Jersey set themselves up for victory with a first wicket stand of 59 between left hander Pete Gough and Dave Morfee.

Smit took three wickets with his part time off spin as the hosts looked to finish the match in a hurry.

After starting at 10.45am, the 50-over match was over at 2pm.

'It was a bit of a fun couple of days what with France being very weak,' said Jersey captain Matt Hague after the Guernsey victory.

'Today we got a good start with our opening bowlers and then we kept it tight.

'The match winner was Tony as he went through their middle order and then chasing it flattered Guernsey a bit that they took four wickets.

'We should done it by nine but obviously 73 was nowhere near enough to challenge us. France was little bit of a let down with the side they brought over.

'They weren't very strong. At least Guernsey got a bat against them.

'We know that Guernsey are a good team and that's the way it went. If we played France 10 times that the way it would go every time.

'I'm sure it will be a good game in August. It's a different game.'