Before an enthusiastic crowd of around 300, the Sarnians put on a breath-taking 284 for seven wickets in their 50 overs to eventually win by 89 runs.
The winning score is believed to be the highest made in the annual fixture – but credit to Jersey for making a brave fight of it before finally falling away in the final eight overs.
Jersey skipper Matt Hague played with an attacking field throughout but he could not stem the flow of Guernsey runs although his bowlers let him down slightly, conceding 30 wides and a no ball to Guernsey’s six wides and three no balls.
But it truth it was about batting and the hosts were in tip-top form.
Matt Oliver struck a dozen boundaries in his 58 runs during an impressive 80-minute stay at the crease and, although Jersey got skipper Andy Biggins and the dangerous Ami Banerjee out cheaply, county player Jeremy Frith – who lives outside of Guernsey – and Stuart Le Prevost put on an entertaining 68-run fifth-wicket partnership before Le Prevost was well caught by Hague at deep mid-off.
Frith went on to make a fine 80 before falling to a great catch by Johnny Gough, again on the off-side and after racing some 20 yards.
South African Van Den Heever kept the onslaught going at the end scoring 27 runs off ten balls faced, including two sixes – one brilliantly caught by Johnny Gough but unluckily when he tumbled he took the ball over the boundary rope.
Jersey fielded well with Ryan Driver taking a brilliant left-handed catch low to his left to dismiss Banerjee.
Hague said: ‘It was a good toss to win and unfortunately Guernsey won it.
It was an excellent wicket, they batted very well and the ball was racing to the boundary every time in beat our field.
‘There was not much in the wicket for the bowlers although I would have been much happier chasing a lower target.
We gave it our all, I can’t fault anyone.
‘We took some really good catches while we were batting reasonably well but having to chase so hard in the end we were under pressure and losing wickets regularly resulted in our chances petering out.’ Peter Gough, who looked the senior partner in the opening partnership with Hague, looked in pristine batting form before he run himself out going for a second run – André Van Rooyen hitting the stumps with a throw from around 60 yards.
Gough scored 43 runs off 48 balls including five boundaries.
Hague edged a catch to first slip for his dismissal before Ward Jenner was third to fall, for 11, with the score on 71 for 4 after 16 overs.
Guernsey were 65 for 2 after the same stage of their innings.
Ryan Driver, who hit the ball hard and confidently, and Tony Carlyon put on 60 runs for the next wicket, Carlyon bowled by Frith as he looked to accelerate the scoring.
Driver, who was dropped twice, and Meeku Patidar kept the score ticking over nicely before Driver was caught on the boundary by GH Smit.
It was unlucky, Jersey were hitting the ball well but everything went to a fielder as the Sarnians, with the luxury of their big score, set a defensive field.
Driver, who pulled one short-pitched ball for six behind square leg, made 56 runs off 61 balls.
Jersey reached 150 off 33.3 overs, the same mark as Guernsey, but while Guernsey scored 89 runs off their final ten overs, Jersey lost further wickets too easily and they were all out in 43.2 overs.
Guernsey skipper Andy Biggins, who ended the match with a direct hit to run out Paul Horton, said: ‘It was a great game, and much closer than the final winning margin suggests.
Jersey were in with a shout all the way through.
‘The spinners did very well for us tying Jersey down with a good spell.
Tim Duke’s two for ten in five overs was a great performance while Jeremy Frith deserved to win the man-of-the-match award as he had an excellent match.’ Guernsey’s fourth consecutive win is a record for the Sarnians.
