And the player they needed to thank most was someone small of stature, but high in class – the diminutive all rounder Josh Lawrenson.
His unbeaten 62 took the visitors through to a nervy win which looked far from likely for most of the day.
To chase down 239 was no mean effort by the Victorians, who were also indebted to a hard-hitting 32-ball 56 by number seven Ed Giles and a half century from opener David Bourne.
But the real class was shown by Lawrenson, who just never looked like getting out and appears a Jersey senior player of the not too distant future.
Earlier, Elizabeth big guns rose to the occasion as skipper Nairn Guilbert hit 85 and Dan Le Messurier a fine half-century, but for all their efforts still there was a feeling that the home side should have racked up 250-plus.
From 161 for two, Elizabeth failed to capitalise on their fine start. Le Messurier has had a wretched time this season with the bat, but he excelled and looked anything but a player short of form.
The faster Victoria bowlers did not seem to pose much threat to Guilbert and Le Messurier and when off-spinner Lawrenson came on, Le Messurier attacked him with vigour and at one stage lost the ball in the roadside hedging.
While it lasted it was a joy to see two youngsters who have devoted so much time and effort into improving the game in recent summers, get some reward.
Elizabeth were sitting comfortably at 89 for one and the 100 was reached in the 19th over.
Three varieties of spin options were tried by Victoria and while all looked decent bowlers, Le Messurier and Guilbert had the measure of them until, in the 25th, Le Messurier looked to gently turn a Lawrenson delivery to leg and a leading edge gave the catch to Bourne at short-leg.
Guilbert soon moved to his half-century and with Andrew Hutchison quickly into his stride, the Elizabeth score moved along tidily.
But, bit by bit, Elizabeth were hauled in as wickets fell and prospects of a 250-plus total evaporated.
Guilbert moved to within sight of another ton when he holed out to Chris Thompson at mid-wicket for 85.
Right-arm medium-fast bowler Ben Le Gallais finished with five wickets as Elizabeth were finally all out for 239 and for a long spell it seemed they could defend it.
But they simply could not get rid of Lawrenson and Giles’s long handle approach also caused great damage as Victoria claimed a three-wicket success.
Elizabeth College
N Guilbert, c Thompson, b Le Gallais 85
M Brook, b Le Gallais 13
D Le Messurier, c Bourne, b Lawrenson 41
N Hutchinson, lbw, b Bourne 25
J Hudson, c Hewit, b Barrett 7
N Buckle, c & b Bourne 19
E Miller, c Mora, b Le Gallais 6
B Sharman, b Le Gallais 3
R Guilbert, run out (Bourne) 5
J Duke, c Mora, b Le Gallais 6
M Sharpe, not out 0
Extras 29
Total 239
Bowling: Giles 10-0-47-0; Le Gallez 9-1-39-5; Lawrenson 10-0-36-1; Thompson 6-0-40-0; Bourne 10-0-47-2; Gough 2-0-13-0; Barrett 3-0-12-1.
Victoria College
D Bourne, c Le Messurier, b Buckle 63
P Gough, c Guilbert, b Sharpe 4
J Hewit, c Hutchinson, b Sharpe 0
J Lawrenson, not out 62
T Borer, c Le Messurier, b Buckle 8
C Thompson, lbw, b Sharpe 3
E Giles, c Brook, b Buckle 56
M Mora, c Buckle, b Duke 8
X Barrett, not out 6
Extras 31
Total (for 7 wkts, 47.1 overs) 241
Bowling: Buckle 10-0-26-3; Sharpe 8-0-27-3; Hutchinson 6-1-47-0; Hudson 6-0-27-0; R Guilbert 2-0-19-0; N Guilbert 10-0-52-0; Duke 5.1-0-36-1.
