AFTER a frustrating delay to tournament play following travel disruption from Storm Darragh, Jersey’s women made a dream start to the 2024 ECC-W Challenger event, with a pair of decisive T10 victories over Germany and Czechia in Malaga.
The Caesareans were set to take on both Austria and hosts Spain today bidding to keep their 100% record intact.
Jersey captain Chloe Greechan was delighted with her team’s start to the tournament: “We made a really good start. Restricting them to a reasonable target, we were able to chase it down well with an over to spare.
“Then we moved onto Czechia in the afternoon and a strong bowling display was able to really limit their scoring options.
“The chase then proved really comfortable.”
On debutant Olivia Bastin taking a debut wicket, Greechan added: “She was brilliant. On debut to get her first Jersey wicket is excellent.
“She’s worked really hard in training all winter, so I’m delighted for her to get this opportunity.
“Now we have to focus on the Austria and Spain matches [today], who are both strong teams on their day.
“But we know our game plan and our strengths, which we will stick to.”
While play started on Monday for the other four countries involved, Darren Thomas’ side met at Jersey Airport at 5.30am that day, not arriving at their hotel in Malaga until 10pm.
Despite the delays and fixture re-shuffle, the Caesareans embraced the task against league leaders Germany yesterday, who themselves enjoyed comprehensive victories over Czechia and Austria one day before.
Powerful German opener Christina Gough had already recorded an outstanding unbeaten 101 against Czechia, making herself at home in the Spanish sun.
The leaders won the toss and sent their bruising batting attack out to the middle in a bid to amass an unassailable total for the Islanders.
With all eyes on Gough, it was her partner-in-crime Wilhelmina Garcia who took centre stage.
The opener found the boundary six times in total, featuring one maximum en route to an unbeaten 48 from 34 deliveries.
Jersey patiently waited until the final over to take a wicket, as Grace Wetherall removed Gough, who walked for 33 from 27 balls.
Given the damage she had caused in the opening two fixtures, captain Chloe Greechan would have been happy to keep the top-order batter relatively quiet strike-rate wise.
Wetherall struck again with the final ball of the German innings as captain Janet Ronalds was caught by Greechan, giving Jersey a target of 91 for victory.
The start to the chase was far from ideal, as Aimee Aikenhead departed in an opening over that saw just three Jersey runs.
However, the script was flipped just six balls later, as so often happens in this frenetic format of cricket, when Jersey smashed 28 off the bowling of Shravya Kolcharam.
Powerful opener Analise Merritt put the German bowler to the sword, with two maximums and a boundary to put Jersey well on their way.
Merritt was dismissed for a rapid 26 from 12 balls, laying the foundations for those to follow.
With the required rate more than manageable, Jersey showed great maturity to edge towards the total.
Florence Tanguy (22) and Trinity Smith, with a team-high knock of 28 from 16 balls, saw Jersey over the line with six balls to spare.
Given the brilliant effort to defeat a tough Germany side, Jersey would have been grateful to clash with Czechia in the afternoon, who were still in search of their first win after three straight defeats.
However, they were not going to receive any early Christmas presents from the Caesareans, who proved devastating with the ball against their inexperienced opponents.
Captain Greechan used seven different bowlers across the ten overs, who all contributed to a strong display.
Olivia Bastin, on her full Jersey debut, shone to take a wicket in her two-over spell, at the expense of just five runs.
Greechan herself again displayed trademark line and length to take two wickets for as many runs, while Merritt, Erin Duffy and Erin Gouge all took one apiece as the wickets were shared around a strong Jersey attack.
Wicket-keeper Mia Maguire’s sharp reflexes behind the stumps earned her two catches, as well as a rather fortuitous stumping.
With their opponents able to muster only 22/6 from their ten overs, it took Jersey just ten balls to chase, as openers Aikenhead (16) and Lily Greig (4) coasted to a ten-wicket victory and a well-earned rest ahead of today’s double-header.
Jersey squad: Chloe Greechan (c), Mia Maguire (wk), Aimee Aikenhead, Olivia Bastin, Erin Duffy, Erin Gouge, Lily Greig, Sophia Hanson, Georgia Mallett, Analise Merritt, Trinity Smith, Florence Tanguy, Grace Wetherall
