Luke seizes his chance with a ton for champions

The Island all-rounder made a sumptuous hundred as champions Griffins registered their first weekend victory of the season at the fourth attempt – their first two games having been abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Le Tissier was in magnificent touch from the outset after his skipper Tom Kirk had opted to bat, not taking any undue risks but punishing anything loose, which he did in classical style with his straight driving in particular being a joy to behold.

Initially he was supported by his cousin Nathan, who contributed just seven to an opening stand worth 53, before Adam Martel played a useful foil coming in at first wicket down, as together they added 130.

Having eased to his 50 with minimal fuss, Le Tissier kept applying the pressure to the Wanderers-Irregulars attack and a century seemed inevitable.

He brought it up by jamming down on a full delivery from Tom Nightingale to squeeze the ball out to the cover-point region and canter through for a single in the 30th over.

Thoughts were already turning to the possibility of him turning it into a double ton, such was the nick he was in, and it took a truly sensational catch from Nightingale – one-handed, high above his head at mid-off – to bring the classy knock to a conclusion.

Le Tissier had made 114 with 16 fours before he managed to pick out surely the only fielder among the opposition who could have pulled off such a dynamic grab.

Martel kept the momentum going, bringing up his own half-century with a lovely clip over mid-wicket for four a couple of overs later as Griffins pressed on towards 300.

As that particular milestone starting to come into view, WIs chipped away by taking regular wickets with Lucas Barker adding to the wicket of Le Tissier by taking a fine return catch to remove Matt Philp before skittling Martel for 76.

Neither Kirk nor Jordon Martel lasted long as the Griffins innings threatened to come up short of what it promised, but Dane Mullen and Dan Le Messurier produced valuable cameos late on to get their side up to 307.

As it turned out, WIs only just managed to reel in Le Tissier’s individual score in the run chase, beating the man of the match by a single run but falling 193 short of Griffins overall.

The reply got off to the worst possible start as Barker shouldered arms to a Luke Bichard delivery that removed his off stump in the first over without a run on the board.

An improbable run chase quickly became nigh-on impossible as wickets continued to fall, Bichard adding another and Mullen picking up one from the other end before Le Messurier claimed three to reduce 10-man WIs to 47 for 6.

There was some spirited lower-order resistance from Anthony Armstrong, whose batting might not quite be as destructive as his broken-field running on the rugby pitch for Guernsey Raiders, but he can still use his strength and reach to good effect.

The big man hit five fours and a six in his unbeaten 32 and he was joined by Haisem Azeem in adding 59 in a seventh-wicket stand that held up Griffins for a while.

But once Mullen returned to trap Azeem in front, the end soon came with Philp’s sharp stumping accounting for Abdul Rased, the final man to fall.

• There were two more centuries at the College Field as Zak Damarell scored 110 not out in helping Cobo reach 291 against OEA, for who Matt Stokes made 135 not out in reply, but finished on the losing side by 34 runs. Will Peatfield took five wickets for Cobo.