Guernsey impress coach in Sussex T20 double-header
GUERNSEY coach Ash Wright was hugely encouraged with what he saw when his island side took on a Sussex XI in a T20 double-header at Horsham.
Honours were even on Sunday with both sides winning one match apiece, but against a team including a couple of the county’s first-team regulars, Wright was very pleased with how his side applied themselves to the task.
‘We played against a strong team, they had some really good players – a mix between the second team, a couple of lads in from the first team and the academy,’ said Wright.
‘They had a very good bowling attack – it pretty much ticked every box – and had Harry Finch batting as well, so it was a proper workout and it was brilliant to see how our lads went.
‘We’ve actually got a really good T20 team and we need to keep pushing things forward and figure out a formula for certain areas of the game, but I was really excited with what I saw,’ added the Guernsey coach, who was without a couple of his bowling unit in Will Peatfield and Max Ellis.
All-rounder Matt Stokes shone for the islanders with half-centuries in both matches.
In the first he finished unbeaten on 64, made from 44 balls and including eight fours plus one six, as he helped his side chase down 159 with six wickets and five balls to spare.
Ben Ferbrache also played a starring role with the bat in that victory, smashing 68 from 42 balls, with eight fours and two sixes.
Earlier, off-spinner Luke Le Tissier had picked up a couple of important wickets as Guernsey did well to restrict Sussex after they had got off to a flier thanks to openers Harry Finch (57) and Tawande Muyeye (64).
Batting first in the second match, Stokes’ 68 off 44 balls, which included five fours and four sixes, was the basis of Guernsey’s 167-5 with all the other batsmen chipping in useful double-figure scores.
On this occasion, though, Finch finished unbeaten on 76 to guide the hosts to victory with eight balls to spare.
‘The way we approached the powerplay overs with the bat, we did really well up front, the boys hit strong shots,’ Wright said.
‘Then in the first game we had a couple of great innings from Stokes and Ferbrache – it was awesome in that middle period.
‘Again in the second game it was a similar story. Stokesy was the man who got the score, but everyone chipped in and did their role – it was a really good batting performance throughout the day.
‘We fielded well through the day and we bowled really well outside the powerplays – we just need to figure out how we can get out of the powerplay a little bit better.
‘We were short with Will Peatfield not playing, but I still think we need to brush up a little bit on getting out of the powerplay, but once we got out of the powerplay we played really good cricket.’
Wright is keen for his squad to keep building momentum now with the inter-insular and the ICC World T20 European Qualifier coming up next month.
‘I think what was really good over the weekend was it gave everyone the hunger back to keep playing and, going forward, to up our skills.
‘It has definitely given people confidence and I think we have got a really good T20 team, we just need to keep practising our skills and going forward over the next few years, we have got a strong team.’
