RATHBONES Old Victorians made it four wins on the bounce to start their 2025 campaign, after a resounding seven-wicket win over ATF St Ouen Springfield in the first round of the Premier League T20 competition on Saturday.
Old Victorians v St Ouen Springfield
After their recent success in the 45-over Premier Division, where they won all three of their games to clinch the title, the change of format made no difference for OVs, whose captain James Duckett described the win as a “satisfying,
clinical performance”.
Dom Blampied and his SOS side travelled to FB Fields for the first round of the DFDS Premier T20 League fixtures, but found themselves on the end of a sparkling bowling performance by the OVs attack.
The visitors took to the crease first, but it was the school old boys who snagged the early advantage with two wickets in the very first over.
Left-arm seamer Scott Simpson was in fine form, but the first wicket of the game came through some slight good luck, as SOS’s Jon Best crunched a ball back past Simpson, who managed to get a fingertip on the ball before seeing it crash into the stumps at his end and send former Island captain Peter Gough on his way for just one, a truly ruthless way to be dismissed.
With his tail up, Simpson returned later in the first over to move one away from Best, who produced an outside edge into the gloves of keeper Jonny Heward, St Ouen shocked at 2 for 2 after just one over.
In the absence of club captain Harrison Carlyon, who was competing in the Jersey Golf Strokeplay Championships, stand-in captain Blampied was the next man in at four joining Robbie Forrest, but Simpson would pick up his second, wrapping all rounder Blampied on the pads to be dismissed LBW for just 2, the score now 7 for 3.
Ben Heelis joined Forrest and the pair set about building a partnership on a “sticky wicket”, but Forrest’s efforts too came to an end on 22, his stumps comprehensively disturbed by OV paceman Theo Pullman, 39 for 4.
This quickly became 40 for 5, as the hard hitting Adam Hayward was also removed by Pullman, caught behind for another catch by Heward for a five ball duck.
The visitors were reeling and looking for a hero, but the bowling changes didn’t bring any rest bite, and Heelis was the next man out for 17, cleaned up by Chris Thompson.
SOS wicketkeeper Charley Webster came and went for 14, caught and bowled by teenage ace Freddie Harben’s wily off-spin, which saw the tail collapse as Barney Aston, Palliyarakkan Chalil and Elliot Miles each went in the space of four runs, with Simpson returning to claim two of them, and Ben Le Gallais taking the final scalp.
The excellent Simpson finished with impressive figures of 4 for 13 from his four overs, backed up brilliantly by the rest of the bowling attack in a genuine all round performance in the field.
In reply, the OVs were made to knuckle down early, as aggressive opener Chris Thompson skied one second ball of the innings, both teams losing wickets in the first over of their respective innings.
Alistair Webster joined keeper Heward at the middle at three, but he saw his stumps rattled by seamer Hayward for just 6, the school old boys wobbling early at 15 for 2.
However, the cool head of captain James Duckett was what was needed, and he and Heward ticked the score along to 38, before Heward too would go, caught by Heelis off the left-arm spin of Elliot Miles.
Not the man you want to see walking out in a short run chase, Corey Bisson joined his skipper at the middle, and the pair would see their team over line with no further drama.
Duckett even smashed three consecutive maximums off the bowling of Miles to win the game, on his way to an unbeaten 36 from 21 balls, with Bisson ending unbeaten on 12 to seal the ruthless seven wicket win inside 12 overs, giving them a handy net run rate boost at the top of the table.
Walkovers v Farmers
Over at Grainville, Farmers secured revenge over Walkovers for their defeat in the 45 over league, as they chased down 131 with an over to spare in a close contest at the National Cricket Centre.
Walkovers have looked an improved side this year, and hey got off to a promising start through openers Jacques Van Der Walt and Elliot Corbel, scoring 53 from the first six over powerplay after being out into bat by Farmers skipper Rhys Palmer.
However, Palmer would step up to make the breakthrough, removing Corbel for 34 after missing an attempted sweep first ball out of the powerplay to be dismissed LBW, I must admit, I couldn’t argue much with that decision!
After the opening breakthrough, Island captain Chuggy Perchard stepped up also with a peach of a ball to nip one back through the gate of Van Der Walt for 25, the score at 67 for 2.
Robin Carnegie in at three impressed with a good run a ball 30, but his was the last meaningful contribution as the home side fell away slightly at the back end to finish 131 for 8 from their 20 overs, probably 20 runs under par.
In reply, keeper Jack Kemp and Chuggy Perchard looked determined early, but were given nothing by a solid opening spell from off-spinner Carnegie. The runs were coming from the seamers however, as Perchard took an early liking to Matt Langford from the pavilion end.
Kemp was the first to go though, chipping one to point off Carnegie for 7, but Perchard was not to be stopped. Combining with number three Adam Bradbury, the pair batted sensibly, putting away the bad balls and ticking the singles over to take the score from 28 for 1 to 88.
The partnership of 60 for the second wicket was broken Bradbury removed by was well caught at long on by Sam Gott off of Harry Brooks, slightly opening the door for a home side resurgence.
Young Sol Bennett joined Perchard, but the set man was next to go shortly after raining his bat for a well made half century. Leg spinner Ben Beeley produced a top edge from the all rounder which looked like it might land safe, but for a nifty tumbling catch from Carnegie.
Bennett too would go soon after, LBW by a smart googly by leg spinner Ben Beeley, who bowled excellently for his 2 for 17 from his four over spell. The score was now 100 for 4, with Farmers still requiring 32 to win with less than a quarter of the innings remaining.
However, all rounder Scott Van Breda, recently called up for his T20I debut for Jersey in the latest Inter Insular win over Guernsey, is proving himself quite the cool head under pressure, unsurprising really from a former professional rugby player.
He and captain Palmer ticked it over, but still required 27 from the final three overs. However, the big over came in the 19th, when Van Breda latched onto off spinner Jack Gott, taking 20 from the over including two maximums and a boundary in consecutive deliveries to see his side home, finishing unbeaten on 24 from 16 deliveries.
The reigning European T10 Champions join OVs at the top of the division after round 1, although the OVs impressive net run rate sees them ahead. Walkovers sit third, with SOS bottom of the pile.
Round two of fixtures is set for Wednesday evening, 25 June, where OVs will host Walkovers at FB Fields and Farmers will welcome SOS to Farmers Field, both matches set for 6pm starts.
Scorecards
