Under-12s inter-insular tied

FOR the second year running the match between Guernsey and Jersey at a particular age group came down to two runs needed from the final ball.

In last year's under-11, Guernsey scored the required runs from the last delivery.

On Sunday at the College Field, the teams now in the U-12 age group, faced each other again and it was the Caesareans' turn to try to get two from the final ball.

However, they could manage only one and the match was tied.

'It's an amazing coincidence to have two such close games two years on the trot,' said Guernsey's coach and former island opening batsman Tim Belton.

'It's a fair reflection that the two sides are quite evenly matched.'

In a 40-over game and batting first on a slow and low wicket, Guernsey were all out for 105 in the 37th over.

Four Sarnian batsmen – James Wilkes-Green, Luke Le Tissier, Tom ap Sion and Felix Rice – all got into double figures but not one of the Greens' line-up went on to post a big score.

Zac Pallot and Elijah Smith were the pick of the Jersey bowlers, taking six wickets between them.

'I thought we were 20 to 30 runs short of where we would have liked to have been,' said Belton.

In response, the visitors edged towards the target but lost wickets at regular intervals under the pressure of the Sarnian bowling.

It came down to the last over, bowled by Toby Belton, and Jersey, needing seven to win, had only one wicket left.

With third ball going for a single and then crucially the fifth for four runs, Jersey's Robert Powell was on strike for the last delivery and needing two to win.

In last year's fixture, Powell was the unfortunate cricketer who dropped the ball on the final delivery to ensure that Guernsey won.

Keen to make amends for that, he could manage only one run from this year's ultimate ball to see the match tied.

'It was a good game to watch,' said coach Belton.

'I was pleased from a bowling point of view. The bowlers gave nothing away.'

The other two inter-insulars on the day – the U-11s and the U-15s – both ended in heavy defeats for Guernsey.

In the U-11 match at Victoria College, chasing Jersey's daunting total of 200, the Greens were bowled out for 101.

Meanwhile, in the U-15 clash at Grainville, the visitors were all out for 108 which Jersey knocked off for the loss of just one wicket.