RATHBONES Old Victorians were crowned DFDS Premier T20 champions on Saturday after Charlie Brennan’s unbeaten 86 guided them to an emphatic 8-wicket victory over RGA Walkovers in the final at Grainville.
Walkovers reached the final with an impressive 22-run semi-final win over defending champions Farmers Caesareans before posting a competitive 151 for 6 in the decider, thanks largely to captain Dan Birrell’s explosive unbeaten 66.
However, after playing back-to-back matches in challenging conditions, Walkovers had no answer to an outstanding Old Victorians batting display as Brennan produced a player-of-the-match performance from just 47 balls.
SEMI-FINAL: Farmers Caesareans v RGA Walkovers
The day began with Farmers captain Rhys Palmer electing to bowl after winning the toss in the semi-final.
To see the full scorecard, click the link; https://www.cricclubs.com/JerseyCricket/results/TqBd2jmi-0wWu5_Mr-mFzw?asfd=RGA+Walkovers+vs+Farmers+Caesareans
George Richardson and Scott Van Breda kept the scoring under control early on before Richardson struck twice, removing Will Taylor in somewhat controversial fashion, followed by fellow opener Elliot Corbel to leave Walkovers 29 for 2.
Robin Carnegie soon followed, but Birrell counter-attacked superbly with 27 from just 11 deliveries, including two sixes, before Scott Van Breda returned to clean him up.
Jacques Van der Walt’s unbeaten 43 ensured Walkovers reached 127 for 8, a total that looked below par on a good batting surface.
Farmers made a promising start through Joel Dudley and Stan Norman, but it was Birrell who turned the game.
Norman fell first, skying one to Theo Vautier at third man who took a good catch running in, before Dudley picked out Ben Beeley from the very next ball off Will Taylor, swinging momentum firmly towards Walkovers.
Birrell continued his superb spell by removing Chuggy Perchard LBW, another slightly dubious call, before catching Jack Kemp’s outside edge first ball.
He would claim his fourth wicket of an outstanding spell with his final delivery, bowling Richardson for 0 to finish with figures of 4 for 23.
Tiaan Kruger added further pressure by dismissing Adam Bradbury also for 0, reducing the defending champions to 44 for 6.
Scott Van Breda battled calmly as the key wicket and captain Palmer briefly threatened with a couple of crisp boundaries, but Ross Chadwick claimed both men as Farmers were bowled for just 105 in 18.3 overs.
The victory sent Walkovers into their first Finals Day showpiece for more than a decade.
FINAL: RGA Walkovers v Rathbones Old Victorians
With only 40 minutes between matches, Walkovers chose to bat first again against Old Victorians and made a brighter start.
To see the full scorecard, click the link; https://www.cricclubs.com/JerseyCricket/results/I9wfSBpj-nqjJRRRy3RPAQ?asfd=RGA+Walkovers+vs+Rathbones+OV%27s
Taylor struck 17 before edging Matt Webb behind to Corey Bisson, while Corbel and Carnegie nudged the score beyond 50 before both departed for 27 and 3 respectively.
That brought Birrell (left) to the crease and the captain yet again delivered exactly what his side needed.
His stunning 66 not out came from just 31 balls and included an extraordinary assault on leg-spinner Sam Dewhurst, taking 28 runs from one over with four towering sixes.
Birrell’s innings lifted Walkovers to 151 for 6 and gave them hope of lifting their maiden T20 title.
Instead, Old Victorians produced a near-flawless chase.
Brennan and Andy Dewhurst dominated the powerplay, racing to 66 without loss after six overs and immediately putting Walkovers under pressure.
Dewhurst departed for 26 immediately after the fielding restrictions, but Brennan continued to find the boundary with ease alongside Corey Bisson.
Walkovers’ bowlers, having already completed one match in the intense heat, struggled to contain the scoring as Brennan cruised past his half-century.
Bisson eventually holed out attempting to finish the chase with a six, but Brennan fittingly struck the winning runs to complete a commanding victory and secure the Premier T20 title.
Brennan (above) said: “We’re really pleased to have got over the line. It was a good team performance. This was the first time in a long time we’ve only had the one game to play and I think it made a big difference.
“Having to play back-to-back on finals day is never easy, so we really tried to use that to our advantage. Walkovers had a tough win in the morning and we thought that would play into our hands.
“We thought 150 was a decent score, but we knew with our batting line-up we had it in us to chase them and we did that with ease in the end.”
Captain and defending Jersey Cricketer of the Year, James Duckett was equally delighted after seeing his side add another trophy to an already impressive cabinet.
“It feels amazing, this has been such a good day,” he said.
“I’d agree with Charlie that only having one game makes a big difference, especially when it’s 30 degrees. The boys played a really good game. I thought we were clinical like we have been all season.
“We were pretty confident going into the chase. It was a beautiful deck and outfield so we thought 150 was reasonable, but probably 30 or 40 runs short of what it could have been.
“We knew if we batted to our full potential we could get the job done and that’s exactly what we did. Andy and Charlie were excellent up top and Corey came in and saw us over the line.
“Looking ahead, we want to keep this momentum going. We have a CI League title to defend and nine weeks of back-to-back games, but we’re champing at the bit to try and add another piece of silverware.”
Farmers Caesareans: Rhys Palmer (c), Jack Kemp (wk), Stan Norman, Chuggy Perchard, Armand Fourie, Ollie Ramage, Scott Van Breda, George Richardson, James Bradbury, Joel Dudley, Adam Bradbury
RGA Walkovers: Dan Birrell (c), Elliot Corbel (wk), Ben Beeley, Theo Bell, Robin Carnegie, Ross Chadwick, Jack Gott, Tiaan Kruger, Will Taylor, Jacques Van Der Walt, Theo Vautier
Rathbones Old Victorians: James Duckett (c), Corey Bisson (wk), Scott Simpson, Theo Pullman, Charlie Brennan, Rob Duckett, Ed Giles, Sam Dewhurst, Andy Dewhurst, Freddie Harben, Matt Webb
