Clark enjoys smashing time as old boys triumph

DAVE CLARK emerged as the Guernsey old boys' hero with a man-of-the-match performance at the KGV.

The keeper-batsman clinched an unlikely over-40s win for the home side, who were set an imposing target of 280 and were still 14 short at the start of the final over bowled by Andy Brown.

But with Clark in full flow and cracking the final delivery of the match for four, the last over leaked 17 and Guernsey could celebrate.

It was not a track for the bowlers and a fast outfield added to the respective skippers' problems of keeping the score down.

Guernsey seemed destined to be chasing a total somewhere approaching 350 at one stage, as the second-wicket pair of Mark Tribe and Jason Carpenter both homed in on centuries.

However, both men were snared by spinner Mike Reed in the 90s and, with Mark Culverwell bowling Ward Jenner cheaply, the Jersey run-charge faltered a little in the closing stages.

In reply, Guernsey's own second-wicket pairing of Mark Clapham (65) and Richard Veillard (53) kept their team in the hunt but a home victory was still a tall order until Clark's arrival.

The left-hander smashed an undefeated 66 from just 46 balls and was given good assistance from Mark Renouf.