Mullen’s four wickets set up home side for Friday victory

The Friday victory was a feather in the cap of the home side as they held their nerve to chase down a modest total after a fine bowling performance had restricted their talented young visitors to 146 all out.

Hampshire had looked set to post a much stiffer target after the opening partnership of Thomas Cheater and Sam Ashman had contributed 51.

Ashman would go on to top score with 61 from 86 deliveries, including five fours, but had seven partners at the other end during his stay as Guernsey kept chipping away once Dane Mullen had made the initial breakthrough.

The Griffins seamer finished as the pick of the bowlers, showing the virtue of hitting a nagging line and length on an April pitch that played nicely over the two games considering the time of year, to take 4 for 23 in little more than seven overs.

Left-arm paceman Ben Johnson also claimed a couple of scalps, as did Luke Le Tissier with his off-spin, while there was one apiece for Matt Stokes and Tom Nightingale.

Although the hosts lost captain Josh Butler before they had reached double figures in the run chase, Stokes and Charlie Birch helped lay a useful platform before Le Tissier joined the youngster in taking Guernsey past 50.

However, the loss of Le Tissier on 62 started a minor wobble with Birch dragged out of his crease and sharply stumped, and Ben Ferbrache getting a leading edge to extra-cover as the leg-spin of Ethan Baker accounted for all three.

Ollie Nightingale joined his brother Tom in the middle and helped steady the ship, with the knowledge that the run-rate was never going to be an issue.

Although the younger sibling departed for a top score of 29, which included a delightful on-drive for four to get off the mark, and was followed by wicketkeeper James Wilson, Ollie Nightingale saw his side home along with Jack Brown with three wickets and nearly half-a-dozen overs to spare.

That sort of sensible batting was required the following day in a game delayed by rain and reduced to 45 overs a side.

But while Guernsey showed some promising signs, there were several cheap wickets given away as they were bowled out for 115 with more than 12 overs still to bat.

Stokes looked typically composed at the top of the order and it required a good one from Oliver Cordery to remove him for 23, the highlight of which was a controlled hook for four off a sharp bouncer.

When he departed, it was 70 for 4 with both Le Tissier cousins, Nathan and Luke, back in the hutch along with Birch.

It was only Zak Damarell of the remaining batters who got in to make a telling contribution, striking the ball nicely for someone who has been wielding a hockey stick rather than a cricket bat for the last few months, and finishing with a top score of 34, although Will Peatfield added a late cameo worth 14 to help get his side into three figures.

With the threat of rain in the air, Hampshire wasted little time in getting into their stride in the reply, approaching it as a T20 run chase with Cheater smashing 20 off 11 balls at the top of the order before being caught by Adam Martel at mid-wicket off Peatfield in only the third over.

England under-19 player Dom Kelly joined Ashman to add 65 for the second wicket in 10-and-a-half overs as they capitalised on some loose bowling with several of the attack showing some understandable rustiness.

However, that accusation could not be levelled at the youngest of the Guernsey bowlers Charlie Forshaw.

The promising teenager has added at least a yard of pace over the winter and he hit a purple patch to reduce the visitors from 88 for 1 to 93 for 5 with a terrific four-wicket burst that was a major plus point for the hosts on the day.

There was to be no miraculous outcome, though, as Edward Jack and Matthew Falconer saw their side to a five-wicket victory with more than half their overs to spare, just before a heavy rain shower hit the KGV.