Domestic competitions got underway last weekend in two of Europe’s leading Associates, as Jersey’s four-team Premier T20 League featured a pair of double-headers and Denmark saw the first game of its 50-over Elite Division.
In Jersey, defending champions Farmers Caesareans had a dream start to their campaign, beating St Ouen Springfield in the first of their two home games and then chasing down the Old Victorians’ total of 129 for five to secure a comfortable six-wicket victory.
It was the Farmers’ efforts in the field which secured them the points in the first match, as they restricted St Ouen to 116-7 after they had themselves been dismissed for a fairly modest 124.
Asa Tribe top-scored for Farmers against St Ouen with a 47-ball 57, Jonathan Best taking three for 27 for the visitors and Elliot Miles and Tony Kay picking up a brace of wickets apiece, but after Harrison Carlyon (26) and Ollie Nightingale (32) had given the Saints a great start with an opening stand of 48 in 7.3 overs, the challenge faded.
Meanwhile, down the road at Grainville, the Old Victorians were comprehensively accounting for the Walkovers, who lived up to their name by managing only 81 for nine in their 20 overs. The Old Boys needed only 8.4 overs to knock off the runs for the loss of one wicket, Corey Bisson (39 from 25 deliveries) and Andrew Dewhirst (32 not out from 22) putting on a brisk 57 for the first wicket.
Old Victorians met their match, however, when they moved on to the Farmers ground, despite Bisson’s again leading the way with 55, made from 53 deliveries. Charlie Brennan chipped in with a run-a-ball 29 not out in the closing stages, but Farmers Caesareans needed only 16.1 overs to reach their target, Nick Ferraby (31 from 17) and Joel Dudley (29 from 16) smacking 51 from just 27 balls in another impressive opening stand.
St Ouen Springfield recovered well from their earlier defeat by inflicting another nine-wicket defeat on the Walkovers, who did a little better with the bat this time thanks to an unbeaten 37-ball 49 from Dylan Kotedia but were again unable to stem the flow of runs in the field and St Ouen ran out winners with 33 balls to spare. Harrison Carlyon was St Ouen’s trump card, hitting 76 not out from 49 deliveries, and he was well supported by Ollie Nightingale with a patient 37.
Next week sees Farmers Caesareans take on the Walkovers at Grainville, while Old Victorians travel to Les Quennevais to face St Ouen Springfield.
Denmark’s T20 competition started the previous weekend, but the Elite Division of the 50-over championship got under way on Saturday, visitors Svanholm securing a comfortable 7-wicket win over Copenhagen rivals Albertslund.
Electing to bat first, Albertslund were soon in trouble against a disciplined Svanholm attack, and despite a fighting 29 from B Khan they soon sagged to 87-7.
A dogged eighth-wicket stand of 38 between Imran Sahi and Y Ayub got them past the hundred, but they were finally dismissed for 152. The wickets were evenly shared, Atta Ullah, Jonas Henriksen, Saad Munir and Bilal Aftab picking up two apiece.
Svanholm were untroubled in their reply, Hamid Shah (20) and Jonas Henriksen putting on 44 for the first wicket and Henriksen and Musa Mahmood adding 74 for the second.
Henriksen eventually departed for 53 but Mahmood was there until the winning runs came at the end of the 28th over, his unbeaten 53 including eight fours and a six and coming at almost a run a ball.
Both sides have away games next Sunday. Albertslund will take on KB in Copenhagen, while Svanholm travel to Sorø to take on the Soraner.
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