Having lost to France, who eventually finished bottom of their group on Saturday, only a good Jersey win and the defeat of France, by Israel, could guarantee the Island’s side an extended stay in the games that matter in Scotland’s capital.
However, they eventually won not only well but in style, with captain Matt Hague and young Peter Gough making 59 and 82 not out respectively, in their chase for Norway’s target of 168.
The only batsman who was out early in the innings was Ian Crocker, dismissed with the score at 17.
‘Norway won the toss and decided to bat,’ said team captain Dave Gorman this morning.
‘The match had already been cut to 40 overs each, because of a rain delay, and I presume that they didn’t want to bowl with a wet ball.
‘We had them struggling at 50 for 5, and I reckon we could have kept their scored down to less than 168, but in the end it didn’t matter.
The longer the game went on, the more the pitch flattened out, which helped our batsmen.
‘They eventually won with three overs to spare.
Jersey are through to the semi-finals against Greece who won all three of their games.
They’re a good side.
Still, we’re only two games away from promotion into Division I.
The boys are delighted, but it’s been an extraordinary turn of events.
After Saturday’s result (Jersey lost to France) we were all down-hearted.
However our win, and Israel’s inferior run rate (Israel, like Jersey, had three points in their group), means we’re through.
We’re looking forward to it.’ The team that eventually took to the field had two changes from the previous day, Tom and Bobby Minty being replaced by Pete Blackburn and Dave Morfee.
Matt Hague, having lost the toss, would have been pleased to have been fielding on a damp wicket that looked as if it would give a bit of assistance to the opening bowlers, an assumption that was proved right when after eight overs the Norwegians were in real trouble at 26 for 4 with Saralis and Blackburn revelling in the prevailing conditions.
Left handed opener Zaheer was still at the crease, however, and was severe on any wayward bowling but when Hague ended a brief partnership with hard hitting skipper Zeeshan, caught at slip by Chris Jones, Jersey appeared to be into the tail.
Eventually Jersey took the wicket of dangerman Zaheer for 56, Chris Jones taking a fine nerve-testing catch on the boundary off the bowling of Carlyon and it looked as if Jersey would be chasing a low score.
A dogged partnership of 77 then saw the Norwegians progress to 162 and then 168 for 9 with Chris Jones capping a good personal day in the field by taking two wickets off the last two deliveries of the innings.
The Jersey reply was again led by Crocker and Peter Gough but while on Saturday it had been Gough who departed early it was Crocker, in attempting to be more positive, edged a delivery to first slip off the opening bowler Mubasshar with the score on 17.
After that Hague and Gough started to chip away at the Norwegian score.
Early on there was plenty of appealing from the fielding side but the pair stood firm and gradually got on top of the bowling.
They reached the 100 mark in the 25th over with Gough on 48 and Hague on 39 and, after Gough reached his 50, he started to accelerated and scored freely by sending the ball to all areas of the ground.
Hague was content to play the anchor role but reached his 50 in the 33rd over with the score on 156.
A few overs later the team was toasting its first international victory which meant they were to finish second in the group and move forward to tomorrow’s semi-finals.
Hague’s 59 runs, plus a wicket, earned him the man of the match award.
In yesterday’s other match of interest to Jersey was Guernsey’s defeat by Greece.
Despite winning their opening match the Sarnians finished bottom of their group and are now in the play off for positions from fifth to eighth.
