Mavericks and JCC have been set up along similar lines, with the vision to create representative playing opportunities, bringing together players from different clubs, while celebrating traditions and the spirit of island cricket with a strong social aspect.
The visitors took the honours in the initial T20 double-header between the sides at the KGV, but there were some encouraging individual performances all-round with several of the up-and-coming Sarnians making their mark.
Ed Robinson top-scored for them across the two matches while Charlie Forshaw picked up five wickets in total.
Mavericks batted first in both games and twice came up short of setting what would have been testing targets.
In game one, in particular, the hosts gave themselves a mountain to climb from an early stage as they slipped to 20 for 5 against some tidy JCC bowling with some of their more experienced batters back in the pavilion.
Robinson was joined by fellow teenager Barnabas Smith in a six-wicket stand of 45 that helped edge their team towards a more respectable total, but when the former departed for a run-a-ball 32, which included five fours, it triggered another collapse that saw the last five wickets fall for just 10 runs in four overs.
Smith, who made 18, was the only other Mavericks player to reach double-figures with Theo Pullman the pick of the JCC bowlers, taking 4 for 11.
Forshaw gave the home side some hope by removing both openers early on at the start of the run chase, but Drew Sylvester and captain Robbie Forrest came together for JCC and saw their side home with plenty to spare.
The second match was another low-scoring, albeit much closer affair. While there were no substantial individual scores for Mavericks, Robinson (22), Forshaw (20) and top-scorer Kevin Van Der Geest (26) all chipped in with middle-order contributions before Louis Day provided a useful cameo at the end, with his 16 from 10 balls containing three boundaries as they posted 118.
They then got off to a dream start with the ball as Alfie Gallienne bowled Jack Kemp through the gate with the first ball of the innings on his way to an opening wicket maiden before Forshaw’s accuracy accounted for Georon Claasen and James Smith with successive delveries in his first over to have JCC reeling at 0 for 3.
Jordan Peacock added the scalp of Sylvester inside the powerplay as he holed out to Ollie Clapham at deep midwicket, but Forrest once again proved a calming presence for his side in the middle, and with left-hander Jacques Van Der Valt they added 85 for the fifth wicket to take the wind out of the Mavericks sails.
The hosts revived some hope late on when Forshaw returned to the attack and dismissed Forrest before Peacock claimed his second wicket when he induced a leading edge off Van Der Valt and Luke Le Tissier did the rest at extra-cover, but Tiaan Kruger and Scott Van Breda saw JCC home with four wickets and an over to spare.
