ROUND ONE of the domestic Premier T20 competition saw ATF St Ouen Springfield (SOS) and Rathbones Old Victorians (OVs) begin their campaigns with impressive victories at FB Fields yesterday.
In Saturday’s double header at FB Fields, SOS battled hard to earn a 29 run victory over RGA Walkovers, before the OVs chased excellently to beat defending champions Farmers Caesareans by six wickets.
St Ouen Springfield v Walkovers
On a wicket that looked reasonably soft early, SOS made first use with the bat, the inform Patrick Gouge and Ben Heelis opening in captain Harrison Carlyon’s absence.
The Walkovers opening attack was on it from ball one – skipper Dan Birrell (below) and left-arm spinner Will Taylor combining well to dry the run rate up early.
The pressure told, with Heelis the first to go, facing 14 deliveries for just one run before he was bowled by Birrell.
Robbie Forrest joined Gouge and the pair looked set to grind it out, before Forrest too was bowled backing away trying to access the off side – this time by Tiaan Kruger.
Stand-in captain Dom Blampied offered good resistance too, but it was Gouge again who dominated the scoring on his way to a well constructed 64 before he held out to Ben Beeley at long-on off Theo Bell.
Some late impetus from both Tyler Burton and Marshall Taylor (left) took the score up beyond 130 where it could well have been much less.
Nevertheless, the Walkovers line up would have been happy with their efforts against a good batting line up and they started the innings looking determined for payback for their 40-over drubbing.
Two glorious early boundaries by Walkovers keeper Drew Sylvester looked ominous, but he would fall in the first over, a short ball by Barney Aston popping a touch and miss-timed pull shot for an easy catch.
Fellow opener Elliot Corbel would fall shortly after also to the short ball in similar fashion, caught by Muhammed Ashraf Palliyarakkan at short fine-leg before a calamitous run out from debutante Alex Spencer left the men in blue in trouble at 20 for 3, Palliyarakkan again the man with the direct hit.
As with the ball, Taylor and captain Birrel combined well to steady the ship, the former scoring a good 30 and the latter top scoring with 42 – including one monstrous strike off young Luke Bosio that landed on the roof of the Geoff Reed Table Tennis centre.
SOS continued to pick up wickets however.
Blampied bowled excellently for his 3 for 18, with Palliyarakkan also grabbing 2 for 18 in an excellent all-round performance in the field.
The innings continued to fall away for Walkovers, and when skipper Birrell was given out stumped off Blampied and Ben Beeley was also run out, this time Bosio with the excellent direct hit, the game was up.
Walkovers were bundled out for just 107 in the 19th over – a genuine opportunity missed.
Farmers v Old Victorians
In game two, the repeat of last years final, Rhys Palmer’s Farmers batted first. Jersey captain Chuggy Perchard and keeper Jack Kemp opened up, but Kemp would fall early for just 7, caught by Charlie Brennan for one of Ed Giles’ three wickets.
Ric Firth added 16 batting at three before he was dismissed by Rob Duckett, but Scott Van Breda joined Perchard and the pair added a well-made 61 for the third wicket.
Van Breda struck two big sixes on his way to 34 before he too was well caught by Brennan off the bowling of Sam Patidar.
Perchard however continued, passing his half century on the way to a crucial 69 from 48 deliveries, including 6 fours and 2 sixes as Farmers completed their 20 overs with a competitive 153 for 7.
In reply however, the OVs opening partnership of Brennan (right) and wicketkeeper Jonny Heward got them off to the perfect start, notching a 50 run stand before Heward would go for 20, stumped well by Kemp off Palmer’s off-spin.
Young gun Freddie Harben came and went for 10, before Jamie Watling added 22 alongside Brennan – who looked in excellent form.
The hard-hitting left-hander would also pass his half century, falling for 66 from just 44 balls, including 5 fours and 4 big sixes.
Brennan and Watling would both fall however, the former caught by Van Breda off Perchard and the latter plucked well by Ollie Ramage off James Faudemer’s left-arm spin.
Despite there still being more than 30 runs required, any run rate is achievable with the hitting power of Ed Giles in your ranks.
Joined by stand-in skipper Scott Simpson, Giles backed up his 3fer with the ball with three giant sixes with the bat on his way to a match-winning cameo of 33 from just 11 balls to see his side over the line with an over to spare.
SOS top the table after round one with the bigger net run rate, ahead of the OVs in second.
Both Farmers and Walkovers will look to come back next week and record their first wins of the season.
Round two on June 6 features another double header at FB Fields, Farmers playing SOS from 10.30am before OVs face Walkovers from 2.30pm.
