RATHBONES Old Victorians and ATF St Ouen Springfield both enjoyed statement victories in round 2 of the Brooks Macdonald Premier Division T20 league.
Saturday’s double header at Les Quennevais saw the home side, St Ouen, start proceedings with a demolition job against RGA Walkovers, breezing home by 63 runs.
After a strong start from the visitors with Ross Chadwick removing opener Adam Hayward in the first over, it was plain sailing from there.
Fellow opener Harrison Carlyon smashed three boundaries on his way to 24 and Jon Best was the pick of the batters, coming in at three and making a bludgeoning 39 off 30 balls, with six fours and one massive six.
A steady and useful 30 not out from Dom Blampied helped steer the ship and, along with a cameo of 19 off 11 balls from Charlie Best, they posted 144-6, a more than respectable total on an always difficult wicket.
Kadeem Caddle bowled nicely for his economical figures, but it was stand-in skipper Harry Brooks’ off-spin that stole the thunder with 3-29 off his four overs.
The reply got off to the worst possible start. Ross Chadwick, after giving the visitors such a good start with the ball, found himself on the receiving end of possibly the worst dismissal in cricket. His opening partner, Abhishek Hongekar, drilled an Elliot Miles delivery straight back to the bowler, who got a faint touch to the ball before it shattered the stumps at the non-strikers end with Chadwick short of his ground.
The innings never recovered from there. Hongekar himself, Nigel Crocker and Ian Crocker were the only men to make double figures as two wickets a piece from left-arm spinners Elliot Miles and Kush Pathak backed up an outstanding spell from captain Carlyon, who took a remarkable 3-5 from his four overs. Carlyon’s side now move up to second in the league standings.
Topping the pile after two games are defending champions Old Victorians, who produced an excellent result themselves against Farmers CC.
Winning the toss and choosing to bowl first, skipper James Duckett opened the bowling himself with his off-spin and claimed the perfect start, removing Jack Kemp LBW with just the game’s third ball.
Duckett should have had two in the first over, but for a fumble from Corbel behind the stumps off the incoming Will Perchard.
Just like the Walkovers innings, Farmers never quite found their groove on the tough Les Quennevais wicket as the OV’s picked up two more early wickets courtesy of left-armer Scott Simpson to leave Farmers reeling at 17-3 at the end of the six-over powerplay.
They found some respite through number five batter Jack De Gruchy, who played some excellent shots on his way to a well-made 27 off 33 balls, the innings top score.
Contributions from Rhys Palmer (17) and Adam Bradbury (12) late on pushed the score close to the century mark, but they fell just short to set the defending champions 99 to win from their 20 overs.
The OV’s innings got off to a lucky start, as opener Elliot Corbel was fortunate to survive his aggressive first over against Toby Britton. He would strike Will Perchard for two boundaries to set the tempo for the innings in the second over, but was soon dismissed for 16 by Britton, caught in the covers by Will Wray.
Fellow opener Charlie Brennan was joined at the crease by the in-form man, James Duckett, and the pair saw the job through to the end with a superb 78-run partnership.
Duckett himself finished not out for the second week in a row, this time with 30 off 34 balls, but the star of the show was Brennan. He smashed 51 not out off 45 balls, including four boundaries and one enormous six over mid-wicket.
Duckett would end the game with a big six of his own to see his team over the line in the 16th over and continue their perfect start to the defence of their title.
