The Sarnians have booked their place in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Europe Sub Regional Qualifier in Cyprus having completed the group stage with a 100% record of four wins from four yesterday with a four-wicket win over Slovenia that was far more nervy than it needed to be.
The bowlers had done an excellent job to restrict dangerous opponents to 99 all out, backed up by some excellent fielding once again on a very windy day at the Happy Valley Ground, but the top-order batters then made heavy weather of the run chase.
They were seemingly in two minds whether to get to their target quickly or use the overs available and slipped to 62 for 5 at one stage.
Ollie Nightingale and Martin-Dale Bradley steadied the ship, though, and while the skipper was unable to see the job through, teenager Ed Robinson joined his Irregulars club-mate to take them to victory with more than five overs to spare.
‘These tournaments are all about getting over the line, we’ve done that today and we bowled and caught well, which is the positive to take today,’ said the Guernsey captain.
‘This was a game we might have lost previously, so we’re happy to get over the line and we’ll wipe the slate clean now and move on to Saturday,’ added Nightingale, who knows Jersey will provide the toughest test of the lot this week.
Adam Martel set the tone for the good work in the field after Slovenia won the toss and elected to bat with his first two overs being wicket maidens.
Pace off was the way to go for the Greens and skipper Nightingale turned to part-time off-spinner Josh Butler, described by his captain as a ‘reluctant bowler’, and he got the big wicket of Slovenia captain Izaz Ali with his second delivery, safely pouched by Ben Ferbrache at long-off.
Butler went on to take three economical wickets from his four overs while leg-spinner Bradley also bowled tidily before the seamers finished things off in the later overs with Ed Robinson claiming a couple of wickets and there was one apiece for Matt Stokes and Luke Bichard.
However, the low run chase proved to be anything other than straightforward with Butler and Tom Nightingale falling cheaply in the powerplay before Lucas Barker and Matt Stokes departed to consecutive deliveries as Guernsey were reduced to 53 for 4 in the eighth over.
Zak Damarell did not last long either, but with the Slovenians sensing a remarkable comeback, skipper Nightingale and Bradley guided their side to within 10 of victory.
The latter finished things in style with a pull for six in the 15th over and afterwards Butler was named man of the match.
‘I’m not in the team for my bowling usually, but it was nice to get four overs and get the win,’ Butler said.
‘It is just a case of trying to minimise bad balls because we know they’re going to try and clear the ropes and once the ball is in the air, we know we catch well.’
Jersey also progressed to the final with four wins from four in their group culminating in yesterday’s win over Croatia in which they scored a mammoth 280.
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